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‘The industry is under pressure. And it’s not just spirits, it’s food and beverage generally’ – World Spirits Alliance CEO Helen Medina speaks to Global Drinks Intel – Part II

Olly Wehring
Last updated: 11/03/2026 at 12:59 PM
By Olly Wehring
26 February 2026
6 Min Read

‘The only thing that’s disappointed me is that they didn’t set up the World Spirits Alliance as a formal trade association before. They should have done this a long time ago – the issues they’re facing have been around for a while.’


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In the second part of this week's interview with the CEO of the World Spirits Alliance, Helen Medina considers the organisation's definition of success, her career and experience prior to starting in her current role and her view on spirits as a relative newcomer to the industry. Head here for the first part of this interview What's your background prior to becoming the WSA’s CEO?When I was working at Nestlé in the US, I was also at the US Council for International Business, which is an arm of the International Chamber of Commerce. The council is a trade association in New

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Olly Wehring
ByOlly Wehring
Olly has been reporting on the beverage industry as a B2B journalist since 2003. He spent 18 years at Just Drinks, 16 of which as managing editor. Since joining Global Drinks Intel in 2022, he's interviewed the CEOs for brand owners including AB InBev, Campari Group, Carlsberg, Heineken and Suntory Global Spirits and has a bulging contacts book from across beverage alcohol worldwide.
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