The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has appointed two new board members as part of a strategy to increasingly concentrate on supporting import and export in a ‘new era of trading’.
Paul Sorrentino - vice president/general manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa for E&J Gallo, and Daniel Szor - founder of Cotswolds Distillery, attended their first WSTA board meeting in October.
Sorrentino brought a “key player at E&J Gallo” to the table, while the appointment of Szor marked the first small distillery owner to join the board, said the WSTA.
The duo’s “wealth of experience” in two different fields brought a nice balance that would strengthen the WSTA board, said chairman Dan Jago.
“Paul’s extensive knowledge of the global wine industry and expertise in the world of wine importing is a tremendous asset to the board. Equally, Daniel’s entrepreneurial eye and huge successes in the spirits trade will add two important voices to the WSTA boardroom,” he said.
Sorrentino joined the E&J Gallo Winery as a sales representative for a distributor in Chicago, Illinois. Since his start in 1997, he has held various sales leadership roles in the US across multiple states.
In 2017 and after 20 years’ experience with the US business, he moved to London to lead Gallo’s business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Szor’s Cotswolds Distillery is one of the fastest-growing premium spirits brands, with its spirits sold in over 30 countries.