Chapel Down makes changes to executive leadership team

By Michelle Perrett

Published: 01 December, 2021

Chapel Down, the Kent-based English wine producer, has announced further changes to its senior team which it said would make further strides towards its vision to be the “number one and most celebrated English winemaker”.

Mark Harvey has moved from his current role as chief commercial officer to chief marketing officer of Chapel Down, bringing an increased focus to developing the premium brand locally and abroad.

Harvey has been a board director for Chapel Down for more than five years, and the company has described him as a “key architect” of Chapel Down’s brand success to date. He will be responsible for all brand marketing and innovation, while leading the Tenterden Retail & Brand Experience team and managing future international development of the business.

Meanwhile, Tom Hepworth-Bond joins the company’s executive leadership team as UK sales director, bringing a premium and luxury drinks sales experience from Chase Distillery and

Bibendum. He will lead the UK sales team in the delivery of trading plans and UK off and on-trade customer partnerships alongside the brand’s direct-to-consumer and e-commerce business.

The board changes come months after Chapel Down announced its succession plan after it was revealed that CEO Frazer Thompson would be stepping down from the role after 20 years.

He has been succeeded by Andrew Carter, former MD of Wales’ Chase Distillery who has also held senior management roles at Treasury Wine Estates, Bacardi and Bulmers.

This news came just a month after the Kent-based business announced it had raised more than 90%, or £6.3m, of its recent funding goal in just over three weeks. The English winemaker launched the crowdfunding campaign at the beginning of June with the aim of raising up to £7m to help it expand its vineyards in the North Downs and ramp up exports.

Chapel Down also recently launched a collection of limited edition wines, including the latest vintages of what the English winemaker claimed to be England’s first orange wine and England’s first Albariño.

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