Key Summary
- Lisa Clifford, formerly with C&C Group, appointed as SWA’s new membership engagement officer.
- She will support existing members and drive new recruitment across Scotland’s £3.3bn wholesale sector.
- Her background spans bar management, national accounts, and brand development across food and drink.
Lisa Clifford has joined Scotland’s food and drink wholesale body Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) as membership engagement officer, bringing strong industry experience to boost member support and growth.
As reported today (July 23), SWA has appointed Lisa Clifford, a highly experienced marketing, planning, and business development professional, as its new membership engagement officer.
Clifford, who has a background in bar and restaurant management, joins the SWA from Tennent’s Lager owner C&C Group where she worked on customer marketing plans for the company’s premium brands portfolio, including the Italian beer Menabrea, across the UK.
Other roles at C&C included managing a team of sales executives representing C&C brands across all on-trade routes to market. Latterly Lisa’s role was to support strategy and marketing in national accounts across routes to market for Matthew Clark and Bibendum.
A graduate of the University of Glasgow, Lisa’s wide-ranging role at the SWA will see her work with wholesale and supplier members to help them leverage the industry support that is available to them as well as recruiting new members.
Colin Smith, SWA chief executive, said, “This is a key role for us and confirmation of our commitment to our members and the wider wholesale sector to work in partnership with them to grow their business in a challenging and ever-changing marketplace.
“Lisa’s extensive experience in customer-facing roles makes her ideally placed to engage with members and explain the many benefits of SWA membership to both wholesalers and suppliers.”
Commenting on her appointment, Lisa said: “I am excited to bring my enthusiasm for wholesale to serve the members of SWA where I believe our shared commitment to champion excellence in innovation, sustainability and training across the Scottish wholesale sector will see our members and organisation go from strength to strength.
“My background in bar and restaurant management in Scotland and south of the Border with both national businesses and independent operators means I am particularly well placed to working with drinks and foodservice suppliers to help them take advantage of the opportunity to grow their brands through partnerships with SWA members.
“However, my role extends across the entire food and drink wholesale sector, and I will also work closely with our members who supply Scotland’s 5,200 convenience stores as well as the 30,000 tourism, hospitality and leisure outlets, and public sector customers including schools, prisons and hospitals.”
The Scottish Wholesale Association (SWA) is the trade association for Scotland’s food and drink wholesale sector. The sector represents a significant part of the Scottish food and drink supply chain which is worth £3.3 billion and employs over 6,500 people.
Scotland’s wholesalers supply food and drink to Scotland’s 5,200 convenience stores and 30,000 tourism, hospitality, and leisure outlets
It directly represents and speaks on behalf of 74 wholesale members, 95 per cent of Scotland’s total wholesale channel by sales.