Wine Australia Heads of Marketing will provide a snapshot of their current markets, along with an overview of their upcoming campaigns and activities.

Presenters are:

• Willa Yang, Head of Market, China
• Aaron Ridgway, Head of Market, the Americas
• Hiro Tejima, Head of Market, Asia Pacific
• Laura Jewell MW, Head of Market, EMEA

This Webinar is free of charge to ALL participants. 

To register click HERE.

More Details on the Presenters:

Willa Yang
Head of Market | China

Willa has more than 14 years’ professional experience promoting Australian businesses and produce in China, and more than seven years’ experience specifically promoting Australian wine.

Prior to joining Wine Australia, Willa spent more than eight years as a Business Development Manager for the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) in their Shanghai office. In her role Willa worked across many sectors including agriculture, food and beverage, FMCG, maritime and manufacturing.

Willa joined Wine Australia when it set up a permanent office in China in 2010 and now leads a team of four. Willa has a deep understanding of the Chinese wine market and extensive experience in strategic planning and delivery of promotional activities for the Australian wine sector in China. Willa was recognised by China’s Wine Magazine in their Power List of Golden Bottle Awards in 2012.

China is one of our most valuable export markets and currently imports more of our premium wines than any other country. In her role as Head of Market, China, Willa continues to be a strong advocate for Australian wine, leading our team in China and driving efforts to grow our market share and price points.

Aaron Ridgway
Head of Market | the Americas

Aaron Ridgway has worked in the wine sector for 15 years, in roles as varied as cellar door sales (Clonakilla), retail sales (Market Cellars, Camperdown Cellars), education and guided tours (Kamberra Winery) and, since 2010, in sales and distribution in the US.

Aaron co-founded the Fine Wine Agency in March 2010 before taking on a senior sales role at Langdon Shiverick Imports in 2011.

Prior to joining Wine Australia in July 2016, Aaron spent four and a half years with Negociants USA, first as a region manager based in New York, and then as National Sales Manager based in California.

In his role as Head of Market, the Americas, Aaron is focused on raising the awareness and appreciation of Australia’s finest wines and regions among the key wine trade and sommeliers.

Aaron graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts (Film, French) in 2007. He won the ANU film prize twice and received a scholarship to study abroad at Sciences-Po in Paris (2006–07) and he worked as a journalist at the Canberra Times from 2008–10.

Hiro Tejima
Head of Market | Asia Pacific

Having joined Wine Australia (then known as the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation) in December 2007 as the Tokyo-based Regional Manager, Japan, Hiro Tejima moved to Australia in October 2013 to assume the Regional Manager, Asia, role for Wine Australia.

Hiro now leads a team as Head of Market, Asia Pacific and is responsible for Wine Australia’s marketing and educational programme in this critical export region. A Japanese native, Hiro studied in the United States and graduated from Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in International Relations and Economics.

In 1996 Hiro worked as International Trade Manager at the North American subsidiary of leading Japanese beverage company Ito En before returning to Japan and taking up a role at PwC as a management consultant.

From 2003–2006 Hiro worked for the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) in Tokyo where he was a national team leader responsible for supporting the food, wine and lifestyle sectors.

Hiro has completed the Advanced Certificate in Wines and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, and is a Sake Service Institute-certified Sake Sommelier and Shochu Adviser.

Laura Jewell MW
Head of Market | EMEA

With close to 25 years’ experience in the sector and a Master of Wine qualification attained in 1997, Jewell brings significant commercial experience complemented by in-depth wine knowledge to her role as Wine Australia’s Head of Market, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

Prior to joining Wine Australia in February 2015, Laura was the Category Product Development Manager – Wine at Tesco. Laura was also Chair of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust and was crowned Woman of the Year at the Drinks Business Awards in 2013.

It was early on in Laura’s wine career, where she worked closely with global markets for an importer and several supermarket giants, that Australian wine captured her attention. Since Laura’s first visit to Australia in the early 1990s for her MW dissertation research, her love for Australian wine was born, priming her for leadership role with Wine Australia where she drives our efforts to maintain market share in the UK, remain competitive and drive commercial opportunities for our fine wines throughout the EMEA region.

Since joining the team Laura has been a passionate advocate of the innovation and quality of Australia’s premium wines and the diversity of our 65 unique regions.