Last month, Global Drinks Intel editor Olly Wehring was granted a rare audience with the CEO of US distribution giant Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, Wayne Chaplin. Bringing the average age of our call down considerably was the group's commercial sales president - and Wayne's son - Mark Chaplin. In the first part of this exclusive interview, Wayne and Mark discuss how tough today's market turbulence has become, how alcohol brand owners can best weather that turbulence and which way the premiumisation trend will turn next.Wayne, you’ve been doing this for considerably longer than Mark.W
‘If we give young people … a few extra dollars, I wonder what they’re going to do with it’ – Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits’ CEO and commercial sales president, Wayne and Mark Chaplin, speak to Global Drinks Intel – Part I
‘Instead of delivering on what they believe their brand proposition should be, the brand owners need to listen to the consumer more than ever before.’

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.



