Chris Flaherty, formerly of Treasury Wine Estates and Diageo, has been appointed CEO of Artisan Spirit Merchants (ASM Liquor).
The Australian-owned company announced Flaherty's appointment yesterday following the recent resignation of Tim Szonyi.
Chairman Margaret Jackson said the company's board was "delighted to have someone of the calibre of Chris join ASM at this exciting and important point in our development".
"Chris is a liquor industry veteran of almost 27 years, including seven spent in Asia. He has held senior general management roles at Diageo, and for the last three years was managing director for Australia and NZ at Treasury Wine Estates. He has a proven track record of building global liquor brands and high performing teams.”
Flaherty said: “I am pleased to be joining such an innovative business at this critical time in its formation. I look forward to working with chairman, Margaret Jackson, and the rest of the ASM board in driving our Australian business and taking our world class spirit brands globally.”
Since October 2013, ASM brands have formed part of the Beam portfolio and are distributed by Coca Cola Amatil in the Australian market. ASM’s new premium product, VDKA6100TM, co-created by Robert De Niro, will be launched in East Coast USA markets during the April 2014 Tribeca Film Festival in New York.