Len Evans Award 2009 Winner: Kevin McLintock, McWilliams
An intuitive understanding of the global wine industry, a natural affinity for collaboration and a strong vision for Australian wine embolden an unassuming leadership style.
Some wine industry personnel become almost household names through exaggerated claims on the most recent vintage or their outrageous behaviour. Others, usually winemakers, grab the attention of keen drinkers and investors who devour the wines they’ve made. Others still remain beyond the public’s sight, while nevertheless gaining great respect within the industry for their vision, application and leadership. Kevin McLintock is one such person.
A graduate of the Harvard Business School, McLintock arrived from his native South Africa in 1986. He initially worked as an industry consultant, including a stint with Remy Blass in Melbourne. Soon after his arrival in Australia, however, McLintock met Rob Hirst, the managing director of family-owned wine and spirit merchant Tucker Seabrook. In 1988 Hirst, impressed with McLintock’s abilities, knowledge of and commitment to the wine and spirit industry, invited him to join Tuckers in Sydney as sales and marketing manager, which he did in 1988.
“Kevin is a very talented individual,” Hirst said, “with considerable skills, not just in sales, marketing and distribution, but in computers and systems. His knowledge of the industry went beyond his background in South Africa to a global understanding. He had a clear idea of the path Australian wine and the industry should be taking.”
Five years later McLintock was offered the position of CEO at McWilliams Wines and took up that position in 1993. This was a challenging time for an outsider to join one of the big players in the industry. Jim Brayne, production director and winemaker, remembers that time well. “McWilliams had decided to expand into premium regions beyond just the Hunter,” he explained. “Kevin was one of the few CEOs in the industry with not just a strong financial and sales and marketing background; he could taste wine and talk about quality and value. He understood packaging and production.” McLintock was able to provide the direction and vision to take McWilliams from a production-led company to a market-led one.
Although he resigned as CEO in 2005, he retained the role of deputy chairman of the McWilliams Board until last year and still played an important, hands-on role in strategy and projects such as the acquisition of Evans and Tate.
In early 2006 the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (AWBC) formed a Directions Taskforce to set the course for the industry’s future and Sam Tolley, then the Corporation’s CEO, offered McLintock the chairmanship. “He was the perfect man for the time,” Tolley said. “He was able to bring the big players into the Taskforce, yet could understand the points from the medium and small family wineries – a real balancing act. He was respected by all three types for his practical understanding of them and his leadership style – which was collaborative and never threatening.”
McLintock still holds several positions in the wine industry, the most visible being as a member of the Board of the AWBC.
Throughout its history, the Australian wine industry has grown stronger due to the energy of immigrants from many countries – the Swiss in the Yarra Valley, the Germans in the Barossa, the Italians in the Riverina and King Valley. Kevin McLintock has continued that tradition, bringing the international perspective and leadership to promote our regions to the world.
TEXT NICK BULLEID MW