In an industry historically dominated by men, Michelle Brampton stands out.
As the CEO of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), the world’s leading educator in the space, Brampton has not only placed an imperative for female-focused initiatives, but programs which put diversity, inclusivity and innovation at the forefront.
Brampton’s foray into the drinks industry began in her late twenties, leaving a career in management consultancy to join a winemaking and distribution business. “I was looking for something different, and that came in the form of job advert ‘wine company seeks finance analyst’ at SouthCorp Wines,” says Brampton, which following a merger and demerger, would later become Treasury Wine Estates (TWE).
“It was a more junior role, but I wanted to work in an industry that I would enjoy and could relate to,” she continues. “I joined on a six-month contract and ended up staying there 19 years.”
With the backing of several sponsors–both female and male–who saw her potential (“which maybe I didn’t!”), she not only worked her way up to her first senior position as Finance Director, but was went on to become Managing Director, EMEA.
“When interesting opportunities arise, I think it’s really important to have people encouraging you to take them and support you through them.”
Of course, the historical gender imbalance in the wine industry has deep roots. Roots that will take much more than one woman to deracinate. Recently, Zippa reported that 82.2% of all winemakers were male, highlighting the fact that family businesses were often passed down to men, and running a vineyard or winery, which often involves physical labor, was traditionally seen as a man’s job.
“We also know historically that great women were behind the scenes for many things and men were the public face,” says Brampton. “But I want WSET to have a major impact on creating a more sustainable, diverse and inclusive drinks trade.”
One way WSET is doing so is through its Partnership program. “We’re working with nearly 50 companies globally on a variety of social impact projects with a diversity and inclusion agenda,” she says, adding that she’s particularly proud of the company’s work with the International Wine Education Centre (IWEC) and the Black Cellar Club (BLACC) in Cape Town, which provides members of the non-profit the opportunity to access WSET wine qualifications.
More broadly, WSET is currently working with The Drinks Trust and the WSTA (Wine & Spirit Trade Association) in the UK on a new industry-wide program called Drinks United, set up in response to issues identified around safeguarding and equity for women working in the industry.
“The program’s ultimate aim is to create an inclusive and equitable UK drinks industry, where everyone feels welcome, safe and supported,” says Brampton.
Naturally, she’s passionate that these values translate within WSET itself, and has already worked hard to realize it; as well as a female-heavy workforce (60% of WSET’s employees are female), the company now boasts a 60% female leadership team.
Collaboratively, they’ve also introduced flexible working as a standard and put several family-friendly policies in place, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave.
“Our new beer courses, which we launched earlier this year, were developed by women, too,” Brampton adds excitedly. “Our whole beer team is women!”
Brampton says she’s seen significantly more women — especially in leadership positions — within the … [+]
Reflecting on her own career, Brampton now pays it forward by mentoring other women, helping them see their strengths and potential. “I know how it feels to want to do something but not be sure it’s right for you. You need a sounding board and someone that can see your strengths–that’s why I love mentoring women,” she says. “Sometimes people can’t see how good they are, that there is no such thing as perfect and they need some support to achieve their potential.”
This reflects in the profiles of the students who choose to take one of WSET’s many wine, spirit, sake and beer courses, too. Though it wasn’t always the case, there is now a fairly even gender split across all courses, and Brampton says she’s encouraged to see much more visibility of women – particularly in leadership positions – across the WSET-qualified drinks industry at large.
All of which begs the question, how else might WSET be able to help women in the drinks industry over the coming years?
“We want to bring best practice to the fore and share information to drive improvement across the drinks trade,” she says. “As a neutral, non-commercial and well-connected organization, WSET has a unique role in setting up and leading these important conversations.”
In an industry thirsting for change, Brampton’s leadership is akin to that of a bold new vintage; she’s honoring all the traditions that built WSET’s reputation, yet infusing it with fresh ideas that challenge the status quo. A blend well worth a cheers, if we ever saw one.