Award-winning, international spirits company, Quintessential Brands Group, has appointed Alex Pollard as Group Chief Finance Officer (CFO) as the company looks to accelerate the growth of its business internationally.
Pollard brings with him over 20 years’ experience of business transformation in senior finance roles within the FMCG and pharma/biotech industries, with responsibility for international market leadership. He joins Quintessential Brands Group following three years as CFO at AB Mauri, a $1.3bn division of Associated British Foods Plc; his previous FMCG experience also includes three years as Regional Finance Director for FTSE 100 company, Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company.
Pollard previously spent five years at NASDAQ-listed Pharma/Biotech company, Gilead Sciences, where he played a key role in the transformation of the company’s European business, setting up various European operations, the first of which he grew from $100m to $500m in two years, before delivering similar success with the company’s French and Northern European business units.
At Quintessential Brands, Pollard will be responsible for optimising the Group’s global finance function, using his extensive, regional and international leadership experience to help the company deliver its continued growth ambitions.His appointment follows the recent hires of Tim Nuttall as Finance Director – UK & France and Alan Morris, CFO for Ireland. Pollard succeeds Roger Lowe in leading the team as Group CFO, with Lowe departing the business in April to pursue new opportunities following two years in the business.
The appointment of Pollard is indicative of the company’s ambitions as CEO, Warren Scott, explains; “Following the rapid growth of our business over the last eight years in the UK and Ireland, we now have our sights firmly set on accelerating our global growth strategy. Alex is a seasoned business leader and brings with him a wealth of global finance expertise that I’m confident will help to further strengthen our organisation. I’m delighted to welcome him to the Quintessential Brands team.”
Quintessential Brands’ portfolio of premium brands includes flagship gin brand, Greenall’s, which has enjoyed great success in recent months; The brand successfully launched Greenall’s Blueberry Gin last year and invested in a nationwide ATL campaign which communicated its status as the only major gin brand to contain zero sugar in its flavoured gins, a campaign which was well-received by consumers and is currently being rolled out in key markets internationally.
Quintessential Brands has also enjoyed success with its ‘Spirit Solutions’ business in the UK in recent years, winning and retaining private label and own label contracts with some of the UK’s leading multiple grocers, helping Quintessential Brands to become the no.2 spirits supplier to the UK Off Trade, a significant achievement for a company still in its infancy, having been established in 2011.
ABOUT QUINTESSENTIAL BRANDS
Quintessential Brands owns an award-winning portfolio of world-class spirit brands, which is powered by a strong entrepreneurial vision and passion for innovation, backed by centuries of handcrafted distilling expertise.
Quintessential Brands Group was established in 2011 with the acquisition of G&J Distillers, the UK’s foremost gin distillery, which evolved from Thomas Dakin’s original 1761 operation and now produces an unrivalled quality gin selection. In Ireland, Dublin Liberties Distillery is our home of modern Irish whiskeys and First Ireland Spirits in Abbeyleix crafts award-winning Irish creams. Our French hub, L&L France, creates fine French fruit liqueurs, cognacs, brandies and vodka.
For more information, please contact the communications team at Quintessential Brands by e-mail: [email protected]
