Trust and the freedom to create legacy

You get an instant feeling of openness, self-confidence and a big personality when you are first in contact with William Grant & Sons, reflects Markus Kramer.

And it continues the more colleagues you meet and the more connections you make – and then you know you’ve made the right choice.

Markus is Managing Director of our new wholly owned distribution company WG&S Deutschland – and he’s building his high-performing team in 2020.

“This is a great company with great people, personalities and, of course brands, and I knew it was the right place for me almost instantly,” he explains. “It’s an incredibly exciting venture to be part of.”

A clear vision for the challenges ahead

Germany is the largest spirits market in Europe and Markus has a clear vision of what we want to achieve over the long term.

“With brands like Hendrick’s Gin, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and Tullamore D.E.W., we clearly want to focus on premiumisation and establishing these brands in a very competitive market.

“But we also have a growing portfolio of innovation brands and these require passion, patience and lots of care and attention out in the market. We are confident that the best way to build these – and all our brands – is our way, with our own team.

“We want to make the right choices for us, for our customers and for our consumers about how we sell and promote our brands, for example, as we focus on market share and growth.

We also know that online shopping is growing fast, so e-Commerce is a key priority across our global business.”

Building the right team for the long term

Now Markus is keen to build a diverse team with experience in the spirits market – and from other sectors, too.

“This is a tough, but interesting, market, that we’re in and we want to build a team with the right of skills, determination and knowledge.

“We want to find entrepreneurs who have a hands-on mentality, are keen to change something and are ready and willing to take on a real challenge with lots of ambiguity.”

Our new company is based in Hamburg, the country’s second biggest city. It’s a location that Markus is confident will be a great place to work from and build a long-term career.

“It’s a beautiful city that’s well known for its premium On-Trade, is close to our biggest customers and, in my experience, a city that people are happy to move to.”

As he builds the team, Markus promises two important things: trust and freedom to create a legacy.

“When you feel trusted and have the freedom to create something, I think this is a powerful combination for many people.

“This will be a high-performing team with trust and reliability at its heart that’s based in one of the most beautiful cities in Germany. We really do have the chance to create our legacy here.”

And there’s one more aspect that’s important for Markus.

“I want to make sure we get our work/life balance right. When I’m not at work, I spend most of my free time with my daughters, which I love, of course!”

We are currently recruiting for range of roles in our WG&S Deutschland team