Australian Grape & Wine (AGW) has announced that Lee McLean will be its new CEO, taking over from Tony Battaglene as chief of the representative body for Australia’s wine industry.
McLean has most recently been the General Manager Government Relations and External Affairs for AGW, and also has extensive public service experience having worked in both the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Department of Agriculture.
Chair of AGW, John Hart, said: “Lee has demonstrated the past achievements and the vision that is required to take Australian Grape & Wine to the next level of evolution.
“Given the challenges the Australian wine industry currently faces, the Board has set Australian Grape & Wine the mandate to be the most inclusive and effective advocacy body it can be. It is our belief that Lee McLean is the best CEO to drive that outcome for the industry.
“We are looking forward to Lee being able to take on the CEO role in the near term to ensure an effective transition from our current CEO, Mr Tony Battaglene. We thank Tony for his great service to the organisation and the industry over many years.”
McLean added: “It is a great honour to be appointed as CEO of Australian Grape & Wine and I look forward to working Australia’s world-leading grape growers and winemakers to help drive a positive agenda for the sector in the years to come.
“As an early priority, I am keen to listen carefully to our members, understand the challenges and opportunities, and make sure our team is focusing on the issues that matter most to grape and wine businesses.”