Cotswolds Distillery founder joins WSTA board

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has appointed Cotswolds Distillery’s Dan Szor and E&J Gallo’s Paul Sorrentino to its board.

Cotswolds Distillery founder Dan Szor joins the WSTA’s board

Szor, the founder of UK-based Cotswolds Distillery, is the first small distillery owner to join the WSTA board.

US-born Szor has spent most of his working life living in Paris and London, and opened the English whisky and gin distillery in 2014.

Szor and Sorrentino, vice president – Europe, Middle East and Africa for US winery E&J Gallo, attended their first board meeting for the WSTA last month.

Sorrentino joined E&J Gallo in 1997 as a sales representative for a distributor in Chicago, Illinois.

After 20 years of experience with the company’s US arm, he moved to London last year with his family to lead E&J Gallo’s business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Chief executive of the WSTA, Miles Beale, said: “The WSTA continues to fortify its board team and I am delighted to welcome both Paul and Dan. We represent the big and the small bringing together domestic and international players in the wine and spirit trade.

“Each member of our board brings to the table a different set of skills that means the WSTA can cover every issue facing this diverse sector.

“The WSTA is doing more than ever before for its members and the industry in these uncertain and testing times.”

Szor added: “I was delighted to be asked to join the WSTA board earlier this year.

“Britain’s SME craft distillers will be at the forefront of exploring new trading opportunities post-Brexit, and I’m looking forward to helping the WSTA and its members prepare and then take advantage of new trading arrangements.”