Wine and Spirits Leader Steps Up Research Function

Southern Wine & Spirits of America, the USA's largest wine and spirits distributor, has appointed Thomas McDevitt as Vice President, Category Management and Business Intelligence, as part of an ambitious strategy to provide suppliers and customers with market information.

President and COO Wayne E. Chaplin says the appointment 'symbolizes our continuing efforts to maintain our leadership position in the market, for both our suppliers and our customers'. McDevitt will report to Brad Vassar, Executive VP, General Manager. Vassar says McDevitt's team will enable the company to 'provide our retail customers with significant data and consumer insights' and 'allow our operating divisions across the country to be that much more efficient in their product assortment and placement strategies, market by market, state by state'.

McDevitt worked at Robert Mondavi Winery for the last 6 years, originally as Director of Market Research, creating a 20-strong MR and business intelligence department modelled on those of Fortune 500 CPG companies. In 2001 he was made Vice President, Strategic Insights and Analytics, and he assumed the added responsibilities of company-wide category management strategies. Previously he was an Account Manager at A.C. Nielsen Advanced Analytics group.

The company is online at www.southernwine.com

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.