Jago takes over from O’Flynn as WSTA chairman

Dan Jago, chief executive of Berry Bros. & Rudd, has taken over from Denis O’Flynn as chairman of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA).

Dan Jago, chief executive of Berry Bros. & Rudd, has been named chairman of the WSTA

The WSTA announced Jago as its new chairman at the association’s Annual Conference yesterday, where O’Flynn made his final appearance in the role.

O’Flynn departed the WSTA after stepping down from his role as managing director of Pernod Ricard’s UK arm.

Jago, former BWS director at Tesco who was embroiled in the supermarket giant’s controversial £250 million profit ‘black hole’ investigations in 2014, was appointed chief executive of UK wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd in August 2015.

Addressing the conference, Jago said he agreed with O’Flynn’s recent criticism of the UK government’s backing of health guidelines that claim there is no safe level of drinking.

“These are clearly not for for purpose for consumers or for the industry,” Jago said.

O’Flynn said of the chief medical officer’s guidelines at a Pernod Ricard roundtable earlier this month: “We don’t accept that position and so we are going to have to consider how to communicate with consumers. For us to accept that there’s no safe level of consumption is counterintuitive.”