Ned Llewellyn to lead Alliance Wine
GLASGOW, 12 November 2026
Alliance Wine has appointed Ned Llewellyn as Managing Director with immediate effect. Llewellyn was previously Sales Director and has been promoted from within the company.
Llewellyn has been with Alliance Wine for 15 years and is one of the best-known figures in the business among both producers and customers. As Sales Director, he led the commercial team through the fastest period of growth in the history of the company. This included the integration of French specialist H2Vin, adding 70 producers to the portfolio, and a 30% year-on-year growth in fine wine sales. He also led the launch of Alliance Wine’s first full Burgundy en primeur campaign in 2025 and the launch of its most recent portfolio additions, Champagne Lenoble and Maison Albert Bichot. As Sales Director, Llewellyn oversaw the commercial side of the business, spanning independents, the on-trade, national accounts, and marketing.
Llewellyn said, “Alliance Wine is a business I know and care about deeply. We have a brilliant team, a distinctive portfolio, and a distinguished list of customers who have been with us for many years. My priority is to continue working in genuine partnership with our producers and our customers and bringing a commercial edge that helps both their businesses and ours thrive. We believe that we grow when our partners grow, and I look forward to building on the momentum we have created together. Looking ahead, we are pushing forward our plans for growth across all channels, and building a premium wine distributor fit for the future.”
Llewellyn's appointment follows the move of previous Managing Director Fergal Tynan MW, who now leads Liberty Wines.
Tynan said, “Ned has been at the heart of Alliance Wine's success for many years. He understands our producers' businesses and our customers' ambitions better than anyone, and he has spent 15 years building fantastic commercial partnerships with both. There is no one better placed to lead the business, which I leave in the most capable hands.”
Alliance Wine secured a major investment from specialist firm Activequity in July 2026. Alexander Bartholomew, Managing Partner at Activequity, said, “The strength of Alliance Wine is the relationships it holds with its producers and customers. Ned firmly holds their trust and is the right person to lead the business. We are backing Ned to lead Alliance Wine into its most successful years yet."
Llewellyn takes charge of a business in strong form, with sales growing across all channels. The company is set to achieve all-time record turnover this year. Alliance Wine was ranked No. 1 in the Harpers Top 50 Drinks Wholesalers in 2025 and No. 2 in 2026, as well as being named Fine Wine Merchant of the Year at the Sommelier Wine Awards 2026.
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