Mudgee Winemaker set to be Future Leader

Lowe Winemaker Liam Heslop has recently been named one of 15 wine industry professionals to join the 2012 Future Leaders Program hosted by Wine Australia.

Future Leaders is an innovative program jointly initiated by ‘Wine Australia’, the ‘Winemakers’ Federation of Australia’ (WFA), the ‘Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation’ and ‘Wine Grape Growers’ Australia’.

The initiative is designed to provide a valuable conduit for the wine industry veterans to pass on their industry knowledge and wisdom, as well as provide opportunities to develop leadership, networking and collaboration.

Liam, who has worked with Lowe Wines since 2005, is the first Mudgee winemaker to be offered this valuable experience.

Liam is also the recipient of the Trevor Drayton Scholarship. This is a scholarship put forward by the WFA to honour the lifetime work of Hunter Valley winemaker Trevor Drayton who was a serving WFA Board member at the time of his death. The scholarship covers the travel costs and expenses related to the program.

The 2012 Future Leaders comprise winemakers, marketing and sales managers, viticulturalists, general managers, public relations managers and business owners. The course will cover a range of topics including personal leadership, tacit leadership, strategic leadership, international leadership and leading change.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and a great chance to involve the Mudgee region with a broad range of wine industry professionals,” said Liam. “Mudgee is making world class wines which I am looking forward to sharing with people from other Australian wine regions.”

“This is a very well regarded program within the industry. It will give me further leadership skills to help not only the industry, but our region. I am looking forward to the challenges that the course will throw at me and the opportunity to be involved at a higher level within the leadership of the industry.”

“This is fantastic opportunity for Liam,” explained Lowe Wines owner David Lowe. “Liam is an impressive winemaker and is heavily involved in Mudgee’s wine industry. I’m sure that he will gain valuable knowledge and networks from this industry program which will in turn benefit the Mudgee region.”