Howard-Sneyd goes to Laithwaites

Justin Howard-Sneyd MW of Waitrose is to be the new Global Wine Director for Direct Wines, the global Laithwaites operation, starting at the end of February.

Attendees at last month's WineFuture in Rioja will remember Howard-Sneyd's clear-eyed exposition of the two possible ways ahead for UK supermarket wine divisions: up or down market.

Howard-Sneyd is currently the manager of Wine Buying at up-market UK supermarket Waitrose, and before that was wine buyer at Sainsbury's. He replaces Dan Snook, who is moving to France to become managing director for a Bordeaux négociant.