Leadership change at Symington Family Estates

By Andrew Catchpole

Published: 12 February, 2025

Current chairman Johnny Symington MBE is retiring from the eponymous Port business after 40 years at the helm, passing the baton on to younger family members.

Johnny (pictured), who has worked with members of the third, fourth and fifth generations of the family, cedes his role to Rupert Symington, previously CEO, while his cousin and head winemaker, Charles, becomes co-CEO together with fifth generation member, Rob.

Born in Porto in 1960, Johnny Symington worked in London for a high-tech medical firm before returning to Portugal in 1985 where he rose through the ranks at Symington Family Estates, taking the roles of commercial director, joint managing director, and then, in 2019, chairman of the family business.

Read more: Fells commercial team restructures in growth push

During his time in these various positions, the company became increasingly innovative around its Graham’s, Cockburn’s, Dow’s and Warre’s brands, with new labels and styles deigned to invigorate the category and attract a new generations of drinkers to Port.

Symington Family Estates also expanded into non-fortified production, with wines from Douro, Alentejo, and the Vinho Verde regions bolstering the portfolio, along with sparkling wine from Hampshire in the UK. In addition, it is a majority owner of UK-based distributor Fells.

Meanwhile, wine tourism was developed in tandem with that growth, now with two restaurants at the Quinta do Bomfim estate in the Douro, plus a visitor centre at Quinta da Fonte Souto in the Alentejo, with an as yet under wraps new development in the pipeline for Porto.

“The past 40 years have been a time of incredible progress, innovation and growth. Our company has gone through several total transformations over the last few decades, which has enabled us to become more relevant and successful in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive market,” said Symington.

“I’m certain that our long-standing legacy and reputation for quality and reliability will continue. We will maintain our ability to adapt to a world that may well change as much in the next 40 years as it has in the last 40.”

Johnny Symington steps down at the end of February, when Rob Symington’s elevation to co-CEO marks the elevation of the first fifth generation family member to a top role. Six other fifth generation members – Charlotte, Harry, Anthony, Vicky, Teresa and Hugh Symington – continue to work across the business in, variously, marketing, sales and wine tourism.

B Corp certified, Symington Family Estates is a leading premium port producer and farms the largest area of prime ‘A’ rated vineyard in the Douro valley, with 25 quintas (estates) collectively covering more than 1,000ha of vineyard.

Printer friendly version