O’Flynn – who also served as chairman of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association – brings more than 35 years of experience to the role. That includes 13 years on the executive board of Irish Distillers and five years as managing director of Pernod Ricard UK.
“I am delighted to be joining Kingsland Drinks Group as a non-executive director at this exciting time for the business,” said O’Flynn. “I look forward to contributing to the company’s growth and development over the coming years.”
Investment projects
O’Flynn joins the business to assist in its growth and development following a series of significant investment projects.
Executive chairman Andy Sagar said: “We are really pleased that Denis has now come on board formally after already working with us on a couple of major projects.
“His broad experience in the drinks trade will be a valuable asset to the team, especially as we continue to diversify our capability and offering.”
Recent launches
Kingsland recently the launched sister company Ten Locks in August 2020 and bolstered its infrastructure in the last 12 months. That included an increase in its capacity for packing bag-in-box wines and investment in a new canning line in 2020.
Ed Baker, managing director of Kingsland Drinks Group, added: “Denis and I met through our mutual work at the Wine and Spirits Trade Association – he has a great deal of knowledge about UK drinks for both wine and spirits, especially when it comes to brands. I’m confident he’ll be great addition to the team and aid in Kingsland Drinks Groups’ development.”
Meanwhile, the John Lewis Partnership has appointed Hovis chief executive Nish Kankiwala to its board as non-executive director, effective this month.
Kankiwala boasts 40 years’ experience within the food and drink industry and has held senior positions at PepsiCo, Unilever and global fast food chain Burger King.