Simon Shelbourn 4

Kingsland Drinks Group has announced the hire of Simon Shelbourn in the newly created role of chief financial officer (CFO).

Shelbourn joins the wine and spirits player after a nine-month stint as CFO at coir substrate maker Cocogreen. Prior to this he held senior finance roles at County Milk Products and Arla Foods.

At Kingsland, Shelbourn will take responsibility for the firm’s finance and IT functions.

“As Kingsland Drinks continues to evolve and our activities, capabilities and teams become more wide-ranging, we’ve worked to bolster our leadership with high calibre talent,” said Ed Baker, MD of Kingsland Drinks Group.

“Simon will play a critical role in how Kingsland Drinks Group grows in the long term – we welcome him warmly.”

Shelbourn added: “Kingsland Drinks Group is a trusted and multifaceted player in the UK drinks industry… The diverse nature of the company means there’s a wealth of opportunity for growth.”

Shelbourn is one of several senior additions to Kingsland in the past 12 months. Mark Riley, former commercial director at Bibendum, part of the C&C Group, and Andy Henderson, an fmcg veteran, joined the group late last year as commercial director and operations director respectively.

The employee-owned firm last month penned an exclusive distribution deal to bring Ukrainian wine brand Bolgrad to UK shores.

The six-strong range of Odesa wines will be available via the Salford importer and wholesaler from this month.