The Independent Liquor Group’s board has announced the appointment of Chris Grigoriou as its new chairman following Neville Blair’s resignation last month.
Grigoriou has served as Deputy Chair of ILG since 2015 and assumed the Chair’s responsibilities when Blair resigned. His position as the group’s Deputy Chair has been filled by Damien Bottero, who joined the ILG Board in 2013.
The Grigoriou Family of Fairfield West Cellars and the Bottero Family of Pittwater Cellars are both long time members of ILG, with 19 and 37 years of membership respectively.
“I am delighted to have witnessed this in my time, a changing of guards involving second generation custodians of long time co-operative members,” said ILG CEO Paul Esposito.
“It distinctly demonstrates what ILG is all about, the longevity of its members and preserving the family culture,” he added.
In his Board address, Grigoriou said: “I am humbled by the trust and confidence from my fellow Directors. I feel privileged by this appointment and extremely excited to take the lead in realising the vision we have set ourselves to achieve henceforth. I’d also like to take this opportunity to personally thank Neville Blair whose guidance and leadership have and will keep me inspired in this new undertaking.”
Bottero thanked the Board for their support: “This is a big step for me and I am looking forward to the challenges that come with this position. The experience gained over the past four years has certainly motivated me for greater aspirations and provided depth in understanding the complexity of our Industry and appreciating the efforts, we as a Board strive, to deliver beneficial outcomes to our fellow ILG members,” he said.