By Jim Boyce | Change at the top for importer and distributor ASC Fine Wines as Bruno Baudry will resign as CEO on March 31 and be replaced by Yoshihiko Shibuya. Baudry, who will continue in an advisory role, is leaving for personal reasons and will relocate to Japan where his family lives, according to an ASC press release. Shibuya has been involved in the wine side of Suntory’s business for two decades, including five in France, and recently joined ASC as a board member.
The press release also noted that Simon Wang will be the new Chief Operating Officer at ASC.
ASC was established in 1996 by father-and-son team Don St. Pierre, Sr and Don St. Pierre Jr, who successfully weathered more than a decade in the turbulent China wine market before selling a majority share to Suntory in late 2009. St. Pierre, Jr remained with the company before formally leaving two years ago. In an increasingly crowded wine market that now has thousands of importers, ASC remains one of the top importers, according to China Customs stats.
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