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Whisky distillery Starward has announced the appointment of a new CEO, expansion plans into new markets and in production capacity, as part of its growth strategy. The Australian distillery has expanded globally in the last year, launching an international distribution presence in the UK, USA, France and Japan.   To meet this international demand, Starward plans to expand its production capacity during the first half of 2020 with a multi-million-dollar investment. Starward founder David Vitale said: “It’s hard to believe it was just three years ago we completed our monumental upgrade from Essendon Fields to Port Melbourne. “Now, we are once again taking a huge leap to meet the rapidly growing, local and global, demand for our whiskies – particularly Two-Fold which has exceeded all of our sales expectations in our first year, winning best Australian blended at the World Whiskies Awards in London.”

The Port Melbourne-based company has appointed Simon Marton as its new CEO to oversee these acceleration plans. Marton joins Starward with over 20 years of experience in wine and spirits, and most recently served as global CMO of Treasury Wine Estates. His appointment follows former CEO Andrew Macdonald’s decision to step down from his role. Martson said: “Starward is a brand I have admired for its innovative and unconventional strategy. “I’m excited about the opportunity to propel Starward to be the first globally famous Australian Whisky brand, especially at such a pivotal time when the Australian spirits category is going from strength to strength both in the domestic and international markets.” David added: “We’re all looking forward to working with Simon to pursue Starward’s potential in Australia and abroad. We have every reason to believe that our Starward bound ambition is in the right hands.”