The Drinks Association has welcomed Sarah Nichols, Marketing Director – Australia/NZ at Bacardi-Martini Australia, as a Board Director.
Nichols has been in her current role with Bacardi for six months and has extensive drinks industry experience with companies including McWilliam's Wines and Brown-Forman.
"I have also worked previously for Bacardi in the UK, so it was an easy move for me to return to the ‘family’," Nichols added.
She noted that she was thrilled to be given the chance to bring her experience to the Drinks Association Board.
"I am really excited to join the Drinks Association Board after many years of being in the industry and participating in many Drinks Association events as well as being part of the launch of its D&I initiative a few years ago," Nichols said.
"The Board has evolved over many years and it will be a pleasure to sit with my peers within the industry and hopefully add value at a board level."
"I have always believed that the Drinks Association offers up great ways to educate and inform the industry on many key issues, challenges and opportunities that the industry faces, whether that is through aggregated data from our partner organisations or through information series, such as the Network Breakfasts.
"The Association also provides a way to bring others into our industry that add huge benefit and introduces diverse thinking such as the speakers that attend events such as International Women’s Day.
"Overall, it is a vital part of the industry providing an objective viewpoint representing all categories and helping each member organisation address industry specific issues."
Nichols is looking forward to helping Drinks Association members to evolve during these uncertain times and build resilience in new and innovative ways.
"Additionally, I will be exploring how we can continue to educate the industry through engaging and inspiring events albeit ‘virtually’," she added.
"The other key focus area for me would be around how we attract strong talent as an industry."
Nichols said D&I continues to be a "key passion" for her, following her involvement in the inception of the Embrace Difference Council.
"I will definitely be continuing to support this initiative and hoping to add value in this area," she said. "I think the industry has made some headway, however I believe that we still have a long way to go. The industry against others is still lagging behind with the gender split in executive roles and this must be addressed to ensure we are well placed to attract talent and drive diverse and inclusive thought leadership."