Simon Towns has taken the helm of Constellation Brands NZ, one of New Zealand’s leading wine exporters, to become its new president and managing director. Towns will replace Sam Glaetzer in the role, who has been promoted to senior vice president of winemaking and production in the US.
Born in Auckland, Towns as well had been working for Constellation in the US as senior vice president of strategy and development, and he’s now heading back home—a move that, according to him, is set to reinforce the ties with parent company Constellation Brands Inc.
“I’m looking forward to returning home to New Zealand and continuing to build on the fantastic successes that Sam and his team have accomplished for Kim Crawford, Nobilo, Selaks and others,” Towns said. “With the growth of our New Zealand business and our commitment to delivering quality and value in every bottle, this change will allow us to further focus our operations on safety, quality and customer care.”
In the course of his career, Towns held senior leadership positions for global companies and, for more than three years, he was managing director for California-based sparkling wine company label, being responsible for every aspect of the business. During that time, the business nearly doubled its production and profit.
