Wine & Spirit Executive Recruiting Year in Review 2022

The beverage market can be tricky to recruit for. Wines & Spirits is a highly regulated industry and it’s a relationship-based business with a number of long-term traditions. At the same time, a number of private equity funds are eyeing the possibility of acquiring potentially lucrative wines & spirits companies that might pay big dividends. Our reflections on another year of recruiting for a changing wines and spirits market below.

A Wide Variety of Roles in Wines & Spirits

ACCUR Recruiting Services has traditionally been involved in recruiting for core wine & spirit positions in sales and marketing roles, but in recent years we have expanded into a greater number of areas like technical positions like wine-making, distilling, production, fulfillment and R&D. It’s all a part of a growing number of companies joining established beverage makers and distributors.

The Role of Private Equity in the Wine & Spirits Space

Private equity in the wine, spirits and beverage market can be a tricky niche to get right. It’s one of the more highly regulated industries and many traditions die hard, such as a generational connection to wine-making.

The fact that many wine & spirits businesses are family run and may lack succession planning also makes them an attractive bet for the venture capital and private equity markets. Which is why many of those in the private equity worlds are evaluating the value of the digital space for new ventures.

Digital Plays for the Wine & Spirits Industry

We’ve been watching as a new crop of companies attempt to gain a foothold through digital means, including:

• New market players like Drizly work with local shops to deliver spirits, beer and wine straight to the door of a consumer, serving as both a boon in COVID times and also an asset to small businesses looking for a new distribution channel.
• Wine.com partners with retail locations like Walgreens and FedEx for wine pickup sites.
• Winc is a “wine of the month” club that promises tasty selections in exchange for recurring revenue.

How We Recruit for the Wines & Spirits Market

We have extensive experience recruiting for the wines & spirits industry and always make sure to consider the unique stipulations of this business in formulating a recruiting plan for our client companies.

• Regulation is major part of this market, requiring executives who are adaptable and resourceful in the face of sometimes daunting legal restrictions. But for the most creative wine & spirits professionals, opportunity abounds in the wine & spirit delivery space.
• Digital and e-commerce professionals are therefore in high demand for the burgeoning field of alcohol subscription and delivery, especially those executives who have a high degree of expertise in “customer acquisition” strategies.
• Traditional alcohol distribution has always been reliant on relationships between key account managers, brand managers and their sales territories. In this post COVID age, new alcohol delivery startups will need to recruit professionals who have plenty of industry experiences as well as the wherewithal to adapt their work styles to a more digital friendly medium.

How Can We Help You Find a Wines & Spirits Professional?

Contact us to craft a targeted plan.