UK-based Dropworks has appointed former Diageo employee Graham Appleyard to lead the rum start-up.
Appleyard joins the rum maker, which is based in Nottinghamshire, after 12 years at Diageo – including a stint as global marketing director for Guinness from 2004 to 2007, and as marketing director for the Moët Hennessy Diageo division in France (2007-2010). His time with the group finished in mid-2014, with the past decade spent on his own brand marketing consultancy.
In a statement, Appleyard (below) said he is focused on “guiding the brand’s next phase of growth from start-up to scale-up”.
Dropworks was founded in 2023 by Lewis Hayes and produces small-batch rum distillations from its distillery in the north of England. Its rum iterations include barrel-matured, white, dark and spiced.
“I’m incredibly excited to join Dropworks at such a pivotal moment,” added Appleyard. “The brand is already challenging the status quo and redefining the rum category by producing premium British-distilled rum – not just rum bottled in Britain, but truly crafted here by a team of passionate experts.
“My goal is to drive wider appreciation for premium British rum, elevate quality standards across the entire category and ultimately make DropWorks a household name.”
Earlier this week, Diageo appointed its Ireland MD, Barry O’Sullivan, to assume the same position for Great Britain, replacing Nuno Teles.
