Amber Beverage Group (ABG), the global producer and distributor of alcoholic beverages, has appointed Vangelis Smyrlis to the role of Managing Director EMEIA and GTR.
Vangelis has a wealth of previous experience in international spirits and will manage direct sales of ABG brands in Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa (EMEIA) and throughout Global Travel Retail (GTR).
Before joining the dynamic ABG family on August 2, Vangelis previously worked for seven years as regional Director Southern Europe at William Grant & Sons and spent thirteen years at Diageo in different management roles from Brand Manager to Western Europe Marketing Director. He has managed a considerable number of leading brands in numerous industries such as Johnnie Walker, J&B and Smirnoff in spirits, Guinness in beer, Ariel and Tide in home care, Heinz and Tulip in food, Oakley, Calvin Klein and Dolce Gabbana in eyewear. He is the right person for opening new markets and managing mature ones.
“I am excited to call Vangelis as my colleague as he is a true match to Amber Beverage Group’s DNA: he starts every day with a high motivation to reach the desired results; he is an outstanding strategist, great team player, but most importantly – a wise and inspirational leader,” said Amber Beverage Group CEO Jekaterina Stuģe.
She added: “Every year since establishing ABG we have grown our global footprint and together with Vangelis I am confident that we will unlock even more new opportunities in EMEIA and GTR that will help us to reach our goal of becoming one of the Top 10 spirits industry players.”
Speaking about his appointment and the limitless opportunities moving forward, Vangelis Smyrlis said: “I am hugely excited to join a dynamic company like ABG with a growth ambition that is immensely energizing. The possibilities ahead of us are endless and the people I am joining have the entrepreneurial spirit, resilience and competencies to achieve the extraordinary. I am very much looking forward to invent our great future.”
Amber Beverage Group is a rapidly growing global spirits company, whose products are found in millions of households across the globe. ABG core brands are Moskovskaya® Vodka, KAH® Tequila, Riga Black Balsam®, Rooster Rojo® tequila, Cross Keys Gin® and Cosmopolitan Diva®. ABG produces, bottles, markets, distributes, exports and retails a comprehensive range of beverages of more than 600 own and third-party brands spanning everything from premium vodka and sparkling wines to speciality Mexican tequilas.
The company has grown from its original core production business in pan-Baltic established in 1900, to a global spirits industry player that unites around 2,000 employees in almost 20 companies in the Baltic States, Austria, Australia, Russia, Mexico and the United Kingdom.
