Wine industry leadership departures raise concerns over loss of experience

The recently announced departures of two senior figures from major Australian wine organisations have raised concerns about the loss of experienced leadership and industry knowledge at a time of prolonged pressure on the sector. Murray Valley Winegrowers chair Chris Dent said the announcements that Australian Grape & Wine CEO Lee McLean will leave at the end of September and Australian Wine Research Institute managing director Dr Mark Krstic will step down at the end of the year reflected the prolonged challenges facing the industry. “These resignations don't happen in isolation - they're a symptom of the pressure this industry has been unde…