RETAIL DRINKS AUSTRALIA
Giuseppe Minissale, Shane Tremble, Sharni Fenton, Faye Hartley, Paul Heilman, Cathi Scarce, Justin Dry, Julie Ryan, David Short
LIQUOR RETAILERS GET NEW INDUSTRY BODY THE AUSTRALIAN LIQUOR STORES ASSOCIATION HAS OFFICIALLY RELAUNCHED AS RETAIL DRINKS AUSTRALIA WITH A NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND A REINVIGORATED DIRECTION, AS DEB JACKSON REPORTS.
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etail Drinks Australia (RDA) officially launched in Melbourne last month, announcing its Foundation Board Members and sparking a renewed excitement among the industry. RDA has already accepted membership from a significant number of the packaged liquor licences in Australia. And following the launch most of ALSA’s state-based membership has consolidated across with the exception of Western Australia. The Foundation Board Members include RDA CEO Julie Ryan and Giuseppe Minissale, the President of Porter’s Liquor as Chairman. They are joined by the Presidents of ALSA’s former state-based chapters including Paul Heilman the Managing Director of Top Cellars Group (formerly President of LSA NSW), Faye Hartley the Owner of Stuart Park Corner Store (formerly President of LSA NT), and Sam Cufone the Owner of Parafield Airport Liquor Store (formerly President LSA SEA). The Board is rounded out by Shane Tremble the General Manager Corporate Services at Endeavour Drinks Group (EDG), Justin Dry the Co-founder of Vinomofo, Rod Pritchard the Interim CEO of Australian Liquor Marketers (ALM), David Short the Managing Director of Shorty’s Liquor and Cathi Scarce the Director of Coles Liquor. An observer seat will also be granted to the annual winner of the National Young Liquor Retailer of the Year, which is currently occupied by Sharni Fenton from the Vantage Group. As a part of her opening address, Ryan explained the vision for the future of RDA as “to enhance the freedom to retail responsibly”. She said: “These words were chosen carefully and intentionally – to underpin a move away from siloed and reactive advocacy and to embrace positive, agenda setting and pro-active representation. “These words also specifically call out the leadership that must be taken in educating, and representing, responsibility in liquor retailing.”
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“Everything that we do at Retail Drinks Australia will remain focused on the vision of enhancing the freedom for our members to retail responsibly,” Julie Ryan, CEO Retail Drinks Australia
The offical Retail Drinks Australia launch event