Promoting a safe and vibrant spirits sector

Spirits & Cocktails Australia is the peak body for major spirits manufacturers operating in Australia. Our vision is to promote a safe and vibrant spirits sector, which reflects Australia’s mature drinking culture and creates opportunities for sustainable growth and economic development.

Our industry delivers $15.5 billion in total value-add to the Australian economy each year. It provides more than 5,700 manufacturing jobs with a further 100,000 jobs supported through our supply chain stretching ‘farm to glass’ from primary producers to the hospitality and tourism sectors.

Our members

Executive

Chair
Dan Hamilton
Managing Director, Diageo Australia
Managing Director, Diageo Australia
Dan joined Diageo’s business development group in 2011, working as part of the team leading the USL India acquisition. Subsequently, Dan moved to China where he worked on the transformation of Baijiu, international spirits and beer. In 2016, Dan took up the role of General Manager Diageo Japan where he drove a step change in execution making it one of the fastest growing Scotch businesses in Diageo and winning significant market share across all categories. In 2019, Dan moved to Amsterdam to lead our Northern Europe business before returning to Asia in 2020 as Managing Director for the Korea business, later expanding this remit to have oversight of Japan.

As Managing Director for Korea and Japan, Dan successfully led the acceleration of growth for Diageo’s Korea business, tripling International Whisky NSV since F20 and driving luxury where now more than 50% of the whisky business is super premium and above. Equally in Japan, Dan and the local leadership team have reframed Diageo’s strategy to build an exciting luxury-focused IMC in one of the world’s largest and most premium spirits markets.
Vice Chair
Colin Rochester
Managing Director, William Grant & Sons Australia & New Zealand
Managing Director, William Grant & Sons Australia & New Zealand
Colin Rochester is the Managing Director of William Grant & Sons, ANZ. Colin has a long and distinguished career in the alcohol beverage sector in senior leadership roles and his success formula to date has been a simple one – Build people and Brands with equal priority and success is inevitable!

His career to date has seen him lead and transform businesses, build outstanding brand success stories and develop strong, engaging cultures which sustain long term business success. Colin is member of the Executive Board of the peak Australian spirits body, Spirits & Cocktails Australia, as well as Retail Drinks Australia. Colin is also a member of the AICD and awarded membership of “Keepers of the Quaich” for his services and contribution to the Australian Scotch Whisky industry.
Treasurer
Mark Hill
Managing Director, Beam Suntory Oceania
Managing Director, Beam Suntory Oceania
Mark is a senior finance leader with a breadth of experience in demanding, results orientated FMCG environments. He has held senior finance roles within corporate functions as well as roles in operating businesses, including General Manager Finance Big W, and roles within PepsiCo Australia & New Zealand and in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Mark is a strong team player with a commercial focus and has a passion for building teams and developing people. He is a strategic thinker with strong technical skills including mergers and acquisitions.
Ordinary Member of the Executive
Amanda Lampe
Chair, Bundaberg Distilling Company & Corporate Relations Director, Diageo Australia
Chair, Bundaberg Distilling Company & Corporate Relations Director, Diageo Australia
Amanda has extensive senior executive management and leadership experience, having worked for major Australian corporations and Federal and State Governments. She has deep experience in corporate affairs, marketing, and customer. She has worked as Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Principal Press Secretary and Media Director to NSW Premier Bob Carr. Since leaving the world of politics, she has sat on the executive leadership teams of the ASX, Cochlear and now Diageo Australia.

Her work experience has seen her lead global cross-functional teams, launch major products and services to market, work on major transformation programs, develop and implement major corporate regulatory strategies and implement national policy reform.

Team

Chief Executive
Gregory Holland
Greg has more than 30 years’ experience in government relations, consulting, politics, industry associations and the corporate sector. As Chief Executive of Spirits & Cocktails Australia, Greg has a focus on stakeholder engagement, key relationships, new business development and an increasing focus on building the reputation of the Australian spirits industry with key stakeholders. A former Federal Cabinet Ministerial Adviser, Greg has worked in the telecommunications, pharmaceutical, alcohol taxation and regulation sectors, community consultation in the mining sector and advisory responsibilities in Antarctic geopolitical and heritage issues.

This extensive experience has equipped Greg with the skills, experience and qualifications as an experienced adviser on the workings of government decision-making and its interaction with communities and stakeholders. Greg’s strong political, corporate and community networks complement his knowledge to add real value for his colleagues.
Nicole Lestal
Communications & Program Director
Nicole Lestal
Nicole is an experienced communications professional and trusted advisor to senior executives. She has honed her skills in government and stakeholder relations, program management, strategic communications, events and marketing in rewarding roles in the public and private sectors.

Nicole holds a Bachelor of Public Communications and Master of Communications Law from the University of Technology Sydney.
James Atkinson
Media & Communications Manager
James joined Spirits & Cocktails in 2023 with extensive drinks media experience as a journalist, copywriter and PR advisor.

A former editor of industry titles TheShout and Brews News, he has contributed on drinks to publications including Drinks Trade, Just Drinks, Good Food, Selector, Halliday and many more. James is creator and host of the popular Drinks Adventures podcast, for which he was shortlisted for the IWSC Spirits Communicator Of The Year 2023 trophy, among other accolades.
Research & Executive Support
Lee Findlay
Lee is a research and executive support professional with extensive experience gained working FMCG, media and politics.

Lee holds a Master of Arts from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Information Studies from the University of Technology Sydney.