Like many, Richard’s wine career began Adelaide’s Edinburgh Cellars in the late 1990s. Inspired by the luminaries of the day who frequented The Ed, Richard threw himself into the industry with sales roles at Mildara Blass, David Ridge Wines and Petaluma before heading to the UK where he spent several years with renowned importer Liberty Wine. Upon returning to Australia, Richard worked with DiGiorgio Family Wines in Coonawarra before settling into a long tenure as General Manager at Primo Estate in McLaren Vale. Richard founded ootra in 2017 with a vision to create a more sustainable model of trade for the wine industry, leading him to join forces with logistics startup Wine Depot in late 2019.

Richard is a passionate advocate for the Australian wine sector and has served on the McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Board and South Australian Wine Industry Executive Committee.