Craig Garvin has stepped down as Australian Vintage CEO, with the Board announcing the appointment of Tom Dusseldorp as his replacement.
Australian Vintage said Garvin was stepping down after “having repositioned and stabilised the company following a difficult 2024”.
Dusseldorp has been Chief Commercial Officer at Australian Vintage, responsible for the company’s marketing and brand strategy in Australia and global markets, including the UK, North America and Asia.
The Board was effusive in its praise of Garvin’s leadership, both over the past five months and in his previous tenure.
Chairman James Williamson said: “The Board appreciates the transformational leadership that Craig has brought to Australian Vintage over many years.
“This started with Craig taking the company from a family business to a major player in the Australian wine industry. He returned last year to support the board with a plan to stabilise the company during a difficult 2024 and ensure we had a first-class leadership team in place for the longer term.
“We are now better positioned as a result of his leadership, including having a clear succession plan in place. On behalf of everyone at Australian Vintage, we thank Craig for everything he’s done, including returning to the business to set the company up for success. We wish him well for the future.”
Garvin was CEO of Australian Vintage from November 2019 to May 2024, when he was removed from the role for what was described at the time as a “lack of judgement”.
He was reinstated as CEO in October 2024.
Garvin said: “This is the right time to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership at Australian Vintage. I came back to the company to support James and the board in setting a clear direction to restore shareholder value. I am very pleased to see our internal succession plan come to life with Tom Dusseldorpappointed as Chief Executive.”
Williamson said: “While we continue to navigate challenging market conditions, our strategy remains the same. With the reset of the business that has occurred since mid-2024, we are now better positioned to move faster to restore shareholder value.”
“We are fortunate to have an exceptional leadership team at Australian Vintage, and it’s very pleasing to have Tom step up as our Chief Executive. Tom joined us in 2022 with strong leadership credentials. His commercial expertise and experience
within the business mean he is ideally placed to succeed Craig and provide continuity in our strategy focused on cash flow and targeted growth.”
Dusseldorp said: “On the back of Craig’s leadership over recent months, we now have the opportunity to double down on our work to deliver sustainable positive cash flow through targeted investments in innovation and brands for
accelerated revenue growth.
“Our objective is to manage capital efficiently and improve our ability to invest, manage risk, and respond to opportunities as they arise through cost discipline.”
Dusseldorp joined Australian Vintage in 2022 and brings more than 15 years of experience across senior leadership roles in Australia and the UK. This includes over a decade with global drinks business Pernod Ricard; Noumi, where he
created powerband MilkLab; Australian childcare company, Camp Australia; and successful start-up All G Foods.
Dusseldorp’s appointment as Chief Executive is effective 30 April 2025.
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