Our board members

Chairman

Committee: Audit Risk and Corporate Governance Committee

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

John Love has been very actively involved in The Wine Society since July 2001, and was appointed Chairman in mid-2011 - a position underpinned by his strong working knowledge of co-operatives, and his firm belief, and commitment to, their underlying democratic principles.

John’s 45 years experience in the banking and finance industry, both in Australia and abroad is complemented by his more recent foray into change management consulting, agriculture and product marketing.

John’s practical Board experience and corporate governance has been gained through Directorships of both listed and unlisted domestic and international companies, currently including Firstmac, MGIC and MPS.

John’s past community involvement has included serving as an Alderman of Sydney City Council, a Director of the Eastern Suburbs Area Health Service and as a National Serviceman in Vietnam. His family has been involved in the Australian wine industry for over 40 years and John continues that association today with his involvement with The Wine Society and as a managing partner of Collina del Re, an ultra-premium vineyard in north-east Victoria.

Deputy Chairman

Committee: Audit Risk and Corporate Governance Committee

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadyway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Geoff has been an active member of The Wine Society for 30 years; a Director for 11 years, and in 2011 was re-appointed as Deputy Chairman. Geoff is strongly committed to the belief that an actively supported and well run co-operative can provide Members with very tangible benefits.

Geoff is a corporate consultant, part time lecturer and examiner in the securities industry and the Key Person Responsible Manager overseeing financial risk management and corporate compliance for Ecogen Energy – a major Victorian power utility and serves as an external member of an audit committee for local government. Formerly the University of Melbourne’s investment manager, Geoff has extensive experience in the securities and investment markets gained in both a managerial and operational capacity in numerous roles in the money market, fixed interest and equity markets. Geoff has held senior managerial positions in both the private and public sectors (state and federal) and a board member of a major superannuation fund.

At an operational level Geoff built a specialist wholesale food manufacturing business in Melbourne over a five year period culminating in a successful sale in 2009.

Director

Committee: Audit Risk and Corporate Governance Committee (Chairman)

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number:  (02) 9431 4000

Robert Whitton has been a Board Member of The Wine Society since November 2002 and has been a member of the Society since 1986. He is the immediate past Chairman having served in that role for 3 ½ years. He is a practising Chartered Accountant with 27 years experience in insolvency restructuring and business advisory services.

Robert also holds the posts of Official Liquidator, Registered Trustee and Certified Fraud Examiner. He is also holds the following memberships: Fellow Member, Institute of Chartered Accountants; Fellow Member, Australian Institute of Management; Member, Institute of Company Directors; Member, Insolvency Practitioners Association of Australia; Member, The Angus Society of Australia; Producer Member, NSW Farmers Federation - Producer Member; Member, Meat and Livestock Australia; Member, Australian Olive Association; and Member, Hunter Valley Olive Association.

He is currently a director of two ASX listed companies and is a Director at a mid tier Chartered Accounting firm, William Buck.

Director

Committee: Wine Committee; Tasting Panellist

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

Greg Melick is a Hobart based Senior Counsel, with extensive experience in appellate, criminal, common and administrative law. He also brings extensive management skills from prior Commonwealth and State statutory appointments as well as experience in the private and public sectors, senior appointments in the Australian Defence Force and over 44 years in the Army Reserve. Greg is also a Special Investigator for Cricket Australia and the Tasmanian Chair of St. John Ambulance Australia

Greg’s national and international wine experience and contacts has strongly influenced the Society′s wine tasting and evaluation processes. He is a respected national and international wine judge and has been a Member of The Wine Society since 1971, a Director since 2003 and is a current Tasting Panellist. Greg also owns Pressing Matters, a multi award winning Tasmanian vineyard, and is instrumental in setting and regulating the wine styles for The Wine Society's own-label Tasmanian wines.

Director

Committee: Sales & Marketing Committee (Chairman); Wine Committee; Tasting Panellist

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

With over 30 years experience in the Australian wine industry for 30 years, Lance Hogan and has been a member of The Wine Society since 1965 and a Director since 2005. He has managed wineries in the Hunter Valley (Arrowfield) and Barossa Valley (Barossa Valley Estate) and was the longest serving General Manager of The Wine Society, from 1987-1996. When General Manager of Kemeny’s, Australia’s largest single store liquor retailer from 1998-2004, Lance was awarded NSW Liquor Store Manager of the Year in 2003. He is currently a Director of the Liquor Stores Association of NSW Inc.

His other contributions to the Australian wine industry include serving as a past Director and Treasurer of the Wine Communicators of Australia Inc., a National Liquor News Tasting Panel Member and published writer for that magazine and a former judge at the NSW Wine Awards.

Independent Director

Committee: Wine Committee (Chairman); Tasting Panellist

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

With over 50 years in the wine industry, Ian McKenzie has been serving as a Director of The Wine Society since 2004.

A wine show judge since the mid-1970s, Ian is today regarded as one of Australia′s most senior wine judges and has previously served as Chairman of Judges for the Canberra National, Adelaide, Perth, ACT, Barossa, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale, Mt. Barker, Hunter Valley, Riverland, Victoria, Ballarat and Lilydale Wine Shows. He has also judged at wine shows in California, New Zealand and South Africa and is still actively involved in wine show judging in Australia and overseas.

Ian has leant his experience as a Tutor at the annual Len Evans Tutorial (since its inception in 2001), and from the late 1980s until mid-2004 he was a consultant to QANTAS Airways as a member of their Wine Selection Panel.

Ian′s winemaking career began in 1959 as Trainee Winemaker at Berri Co-op Winery and Distillery where he remained for twenty four years including being appointed Chief Winemaker in 1976. In 1983 he joined Seppelt as their Chief Winemaker and Victorian Regional Manager. Following the formation of Southcorp Wines, of which Seppelt was a key brand, he was appointed Southcorp Wines Chief Winemaker in 1991, a position he held until his retirement in April 2001 after which he established a small consulting company. Significant projects completed under his direction were the development of Seppelt Salinger (one of Australia′s most highly regarded sparkling wines) and Penfolds Yattarna (arguably Australia′s most sought after Chardonnay).

Since his retirement from a full time position with Southcorp Wines he has been retained as a Consultant in a number of capacities by various wineries in Australia, Chile, South Africa and India.

Director

Committee: Sales and Marketing Committee; Wine Committee

Postal Address: c/- The Wine Society, PO Box 745, Broadway NSW 2007
Phone Number: (02) 9431 4000

An independent wine consultant, Paul Foster is an award-winning wine writer, event host and MC, educator, speaker and a member of the Wine Society’s Tasting Panel. He is the wine scribe for Charter magazine; is an occasional contributor to various Australian magazines; has published guides on wine storage and investment for The Sydney Morning Herald, and has written for international publications in New Zealand and the USA. Paul also devises and conducts wine tours for Australian wine lovers in France and Italy.

A former senior English teacher, Paul Foster moved formally into the wine industry after winning a Vin de Champagne Award (Professional) in 1993 from the French Champagne Authority - The Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC). He subsequently joined Appellation Wines and Spirits, an Australian import company that distributed French, Italian, Chilean and New Zealand wines.

Paul joined The Wine Society in 1993 as a member of its Tasting Panel and writer of its monthly Member magazine. He then took on the role of the Society's Winemaster, overseeing the development of its now extensive wine education and events programmes and acting as Host to many of these events. He was instrumental in developing the Wine Society's Young Winemaker of the Year Award and participating as a judge over many years.

Paul is a recipient of the New South Wales Wine Press Club Wine Writing Award (1989) and was admitted to the Wine Brotherhood of St Stephen of Alsace (France) in 1990. He also created and presented a QANTAS in-flight series on Australian wine in 1999 and 2000. Paul also volunteers as a charity function host for The Centenary Institute, ASX-REUTERS Charity Institute and The Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute.