Accolade Wines has won the Supplier of the Year award at the Australian Drinks Awards, in addition to drawing for first place with Australian Vintage Limited for the Supply Chain Management Award. It is the first time the business has won the Supplier of the Year award in the ceremony’s ten year history.
Regional Managing Director, ANZ, Andrew Clarke, said: “This has been great recognition of the hard work from everyone at Accolade over the past the two and a half years. I am very proud of our team and the journey we have been on to get here. All of that said, today is not taken for granted. We know we still have a lot to do to achieve our goals, but winning awards like this tell us that we are doing all the right things in the eyes of our industry.”
Accolade’s wins from Thursday night follow the business being named Endeavour Group’s Large Supplier of the Year in May as well as winning the Most Improved Supplier of the Year award at the 2021 Australian Drinks Awards.
Last year, Managing Director, Andrew Clarke, said, “I believe we are doing something special here at Accolade Wines.”
There is certainly no disputing that; the truth can be seen in Advantage Australia’s numbers.
Advantage Australia’s Client Director, David McLoughlin said, “Another outstanding result for Accolade, this year converting their Most Improved award into the overall Supplier of the Year, not to mention also sharing the number one position in Supply Chain. Retailers have seen their customer-centric approach take off over the last few years, describing them as a partner who employs proactivity, collaboration and reliability in their approach to doing business.”
Mr Clarke is now two and a half years into his tenure at Accolade during which time he and his team have prioritised customer service, implemented proactive customer communication and been responsive, persistent and agile when it comes to adapting to the changing consumer-demands of the past two years.
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The business underwent a leadership overhaul in 2020. Along with Mr Clarke joining in February that year, Robert Foye was appointed Global CEO, Joe Russo took on the role of General Manager of Supply Chain and Operations, ANZ, and Derek Nicol relocated from the UK to Australia in December to become Global Chief Supply Chain Officer, completing the global Executive Leadership Team.
CEO Robert Foye, said: “At Accolade Wines, we are obsessed with three things – serving our customers, constantly innovating, and making great wine! We have some of the best global talent in our business who are focused on these areas, and it is working. We all know it has been a tough year. But it’s in times of challenge and crisis that leaders are made.
"In the last two years, Accolade has become the best supplier in the industry as nominated by our customers, launched sustainable new products, brands and marketing campaigns that consumers love, and we have one of the best wine portfolios in the world. I am hugely proud of every person in the ANZ team for the work they have done to get here, and we are focused on doing everything we can to work with our customers to continue to deliver our great wines to wine drinkers everywhere."
Shelly Horton was MC at the live awards presentation this year which was attended by 370 people at the IVY Ballroom.
The Drinks Association congratulates its Category One Member, Accolade Wines and the team who have helped it to become the 2022 Supplier of the Year as well as coming equal first in Supply Chain Management.
Advantage Australia is a Corporate Partner of the Drinks Association.
All the winners from the Australian Drinks Awards are available here:
Photos by Belinda Rolland.