Australian wine group Southcorp has 18 candidates to replace sacked chief executive Keith Lambert, according to executive chairman Brian Finn.


Finn, who took the role just over a fortnight ago following the company’s recent financial upheavals and Lambert’s abrupt dismissal, said the company was happy with its current strategic direction.


Its problem market in the UK, where heavy promotional spending had contributed to three profit downgrades and a flat earnings result for this financial year, was being overhauled.


Jeffrey Wilkinson, a former Rosemount operations director (Rosemount is the dominant shareholder and manager) had been appointed Southcorp’s UK/Europe president and a former Pernod Ricard marketer Ian Tottman was the new UK vice president.


Finn, a former IBM Australia chief executive and Southcorp board member since 1994, said no further Australian executive changes were currently planned. “We need to keep our cool.” Lambert’s long strategy of building four core brands – Penfolds, Rosemount, Lindemans and Wynns – was still a priority.


But the company was in the middle of looking at the whole question of promotional spend. Southcorp will report its half yearly result on February 25 and forecasts full year earnings of around A$287m.

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