PMA vice-chairman Peter Mielzynski Jr. has moved into a business advisory role with Canada’s fourth largest wine and spirits selling agency, with recently-appointed general manager Rob Morrell taking over full executive management responsibility.
Peter remains one of PMA’s four shareholders alongside William Grant & Sons, Breakthru Beverage and Distell, and will continue to serve on the board alongside new directors Tom Bené, CEO of Breakthru Beverage, and Heather Alper, William Grant & Sons’ Regional Managing Director for US & Canada.
Peter will work with the PMA board and the management team in a broad business advisory role. “PMA will continue to invest in our people, technology and other resources to respond to the challenges of an industry where the bar is constantly being raised, particularly with continued consolidation of brands and businesses,” said Peter.
Peter’s father, Peter Mielzynski Sr., co-founded Peter Mielzynski Agencies in 1979 after he lead building McGuinness Distillers in Canada as its President and CEO. Peter Jr. joined PMA a couple of years later, becoming VP of sales in 1990 and president of the company in 1994. “I worked alongside my father for 35 years, developing a close family culture which I credit with being at the heart of our great record of still having people with 30-plus year careers in our business. My father was one of real trailblazers of the wine and spirits industry in Canada having built up McGuinness Distillers, also co-founding Hillebrand Estates Winery and PMA Canada. He was always thinking ahead about the future of the business, and that is one of the main legacies I want to pass on to our new management team.”
Rob Morrell commented: “I’m proud to have the opportunity to build on the foundations created by Peter and his father. With our strong people-focused family culture and deeply-rooted customer service mentality, we are in a great position to continue to differentiate ourselves as a truly stand-alone Canadian selling agency.”
Reflecting on the Mielzynski family’s 40-year heritage in the Canadian wine and spirits industry, PMA board chairman Jonathan Yusen said: “Peter picked up where his father left off in pioneering a number of breakthroughs in the Canadian industry, including setting up PMA’s Duty-Free business in 1994 which has gone on to win a number of prestigious industry awards. Peter’s work has been recognized by many, highlighted by his lifetime achievement award from Drinks Ontario, a leading advocate for beverage agents. The board looks forward to continued access to Peter and his unparalleled knowledge of the industry as we take PMA into the next phase of its evolution.”