On 10 July, Jacopo Borsa started on as the new Managing Director of Campari Australia following Simon Durrant’s retirement after six years in the position.
Borsa brings with him 20 years of experience at Campari in markets as diverse as Spain, Jamaica, and Mexico, and has a strong track record in aperitifs, on-trade channels, and RTD, making him well suited to anticipated continued growth of the RTD category over coming years.
Here, Jacopo Borsa reflects on the year gone by at Campari Australia:
“After two decades with Campari, I was thrilled to step into the role of leading our Australian team. Having spent the last ten years across both developed and emerging markets in Europe and the Americas, I’ve arrived in Australia with fresh perspectives and a deep appreciation for our industry. Since joining in July, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of our customers and partners whose commitment has been instrumental in building our brand portfolio. Standout achievements in 2024 include the success of Aperol, Wild Turkey, and Espolòn.
Aperol headlined our efforts in January through our sponsorship of the Australian Open Tennis. It’s such a fantastic event to be a part of and provides us with the perfect opportunity to showcase why Aperitif-style drinks should become a staple of Australian drinking culture.
Cocktails continued to be popular on-premise, driven by Gen Z and Millennials who want their drinking experiences to be filled with flavour and diversity. Our versatile portfolio is ideally suited to meet this demand, whether it’s for new styles or classics like the Negroni and Margarita.
In bourbon, our ongoing commitment to Wild Turkey drove growth, especially through our “101 Music” experiential platform, which we’re excited to expand in 2025.
Our Mexican spirits portfolio also saw a significant year, with the launch of Espolòn RTD making waves in the Australian market. Looking forward, we are poised to lead growth in the tequila segment with Espolòn, especially within the glass spirit category.
Supporting the hospitality industry through ongoing training remains a core priority via the Campari Academy. This year, through our award-winning educational programs, we’ve trained over 2500 bartenders on how to use the Spirit category to leverage the consumer trend towards more vibrant, flavoursome drinking experiences on premise.
Closer to home, we turned our attention to our goal to nurture a culture of belonging in which our team at Campari are bonded by our values, feel welcome, trusted, and encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. This is rooted in our DE&I initiatives, such as our ongoing partnership with the Drinks Association: Pride in Drinks & Embrace Difference Council and Campari’s CARE Council which aims to positively impact workplace culture.
As we close out 2024, I want to extend my thanks to our customers and partners for their steadfast support. While 2025 will bring new challenges amid shifting economic conditions and evolving consumer behaviours, I am confident our agility and commitment to understanding consumer needs will drive continued success.”
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This article was written by Jacopo Borsa for Drinks Guide 2025, which was distributed nationwide in December and can be viewed digitally here. If you did not receive a physically copy and would like to be added to the Drinks Trade/Guide magazine mailing list, get in touch with the team now.
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