This issue’s special guest on TRI-POD, The Moodie Davitt Report’s video podcast series in association with The SEVA Group, is Martin MacKinnon, Regional Sales Director EMEA & General Manager Global Travel Retail for Accolade Wines.
Accolade is one of the world’s biggest wine companies, boasting an eclectic portfolio of more than 50 brands, including Hardys, Grant Burge, St Hallett, Banrock Station and the superb Tasmanian sparking wine House of Arras, all from Australia; Mud House from New Zealand; Firestone from South Africa and many more.
Accolade Fine Wines represents 13 premium and fine wine brands, considered pillars of Australian & New World excellence.
Martin talks to co-hosts Roger Jackson (Dubai-based Managing Director of The SEVA Group-owned Organico Solutions) and Martin Moodie about early life in Scotland before moving to Chorley in Lancashire, England at the age of ten.
“The one thing I remember about that was going to school on the first day and speaking in what was then a thick Scottish accent and no-one could understand what I was saying,” he recalls. “I was called haggis for the first few months in a kind of affectionate way.”
Before university Martin spent a year working for a car dealership, giving him a taste for sales that has served him well since. In June 2021, he was hired by beer company Scottish & Newcastle as a sales graduate, the start of a successful 21-year career to date, mainly in the drinks industry, including a 12-year stint at Diageo.
In August 2020 he joined Accolade Wines, bringing him into travel retail for the first time. “I joined during COVID,” Martin comments. “So it was a weird first six to 12 months as I was managing people across the region and globally and couldn’t meet clients and couldn’t go into stores. So I was kind of chomping at the bit to get around.
“The last six to twelve months have been much more enjoyable and effective because I’ve been doing a lot of travelling and obviously getting out to meet people.”
Island-bound with creature comforts
As always with TRI-POD, it’s not just about talking shop. Once again we fly our guest on our (very) low cost carrier TRI-POD Airlines to our resident desert island (with offshore duty free status, of course).
What music would Martin listen to on the island? Would that choice prompt him to manically preach on the island’s streets? And his two preferred duty free items? You’ll have to tune in to find out, but as a clue let’s just say any house he built on the island would likely be made of mud and that his tipple of choice also comes from an island, albeit a rather colder one.
You can also discover from Martin’s choice of reading matter why his final words before leaving the island might be, “I’ll be back”.
Note: Would you like to appear with Roger and Martin on TRI-POD? Drop Martin Moodie a line at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com and we will be in touch.
Recently on Tri-Pod
In conversation with Philip Morris International’s Patrick Awad
In conversation with Mast-Jägermeister’s Toby Witte
How a crazy dream came true – Mirabeau Founder Stephen Cronk
“I’m at war with unfairness” – Patrick Doyle, International Diplomatic Supplies Founder
In conversation with Lagardère Travel Retail’s Bruno Gouisset
In conversation with Lagardère Travel Retail Middle East’s Jacqui Davies
In conversation with Tim Young
