Roberta Crouch is a Professor of Business Management, providing academic leadership in teaching and research, across numerous business disciplines at the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University.

With the launch in April 2020 of the bachelor degree in International Business (Wine, Spirits and Tourism) Roberta leads the Flinders wine business programs. This exciting, industry driven degree is the result of critical input from international and Australian experts in the sector and many years of academic, wine business education management, research and industry engagement experience. 

I am a former Director the MSc in Wine Business at the ESC Dijon Bourgogne School of Wine and Spirits Business (France), and also a past Director of the Masters in Wine Business program and Chair of the University of Adelaide Wine Future Research Cluster. I have researched consumer behaviour, and more specifically the drivers of premium purchase decisions respective to wine, extensively both nationally and internationally in established and developing markets.

Corrina Wright has wine – and 171 years of family grape growing – flowing through her veins. Described by WBM Magazine as a “legend in the making” and by James Halliday as being part of a “remarkable dynasty” she’s treading a slightly different path among the vines that her forefathers planted, in the Seaview sub-region of McLaren Vale. 

Corrina, with cousin Brioni Oliver, is the leading voice of the Oliver family’s sixth generation and the impetus behind their own wine label – Oliver’s Taranga. After growing up among the family vineyards and enrolling in a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) in 1994 it was only fitting that she convinced her Grandfather and Uncles to let her have some fruit from the vineyard. Working alongside legendary local Chapel Hill winemaker, Pam Dunsford – she created a small-scale Shiraz. The Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards label was born. 

In 1997, Corrina was granted a Scholarship from Southcorp Wines and Adelaide University to study at the University of California, Davis, a university world renowned for its Viticulture and Oenology program. After a year completing her Oenology studies at Davis, Corrina worked for six months at Gallo Sonoma in the Dry Creek Valley of Sonoma, California. She then returned to Australia to work for Southcorp Wines (now Treasury Wine Estates) on their Winemaking Graduate Program. Corrina spent vintage 2000 working at Penfold Nuriootpa site, moving to Lindeman’s Karadoc in July 2000. While working at Southcorp, Corrina continued to make Oliver’s Taranga wines at local wineries. 

In 2004 she returned home to roost full time, allowing Oliver’s Taranga to take the next step and open a cellar door in one of the original buildings on the Taranga vineyard at 246 Seaview Road, McLaren Vale. 

Along the path of her winemaking career she has collected a display case full of awards that would make even the most celebrated winemaker blush. Most recently she was awarded the ASVO Winemaker of the Year 2019 for her contribution to the wine community.

She graduated from the prestigious Len Evans Tutorial in 2005 and continues to judge and chair numerous wine shows around Australia. Her commitment to the wine industry in Australia was rewarded with a position on the inaugural ‘Future Leaders –Succession for the Australian Wine Industry’ program in 2006. 

Passionate about her home, her vocation and local community she has also served on the boards of the McLaren Vale Grape, Wine & Tourism Association, the Australian Society of Viticulture & Oenology, Family Business Australia, and the Winemakers Federation of Australia. She is currently part of the Australian Women in Wine Awards advisory board and an Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) board member. She started new craft beer business Swell Brewing Co in McLaren Vale with her husband in 2014, opening their bustling taphouse in early 2019. 

Corrina is a talented public speaker and has presented at a number of industry events, debates and has even hosted an awards night or two. She dabbles in writing in her spare time as a regular contributor to Fleurieu Living Magazine, and Grapegrower and Winemaker Magazine. 

Above all else Corrina is a down to earth hard-working mother of two and talented winemaker with a true sense of her land and the wines that she produces. She sums it up best when she says: “I’m just so proud to be part of the 6th generation of Oliver’s in our special patch of McLaren Vale. I hope that my ancestors look down and smile at the wines that Oliver’s Taranga produce. They and the present-day Oliver’s inspire me every day to express the wonderful fruit that our vineyard produces.”

In a career that has taken him throughout Australia and across the globe, Wirra Wirra Managing Director, Andrew Kay has found a happy niche at the helm of the historic McLaren Vale winery. 

With a Business degree majoring in Marketing and an MBA in International Business, Andrew spent the first 15 years of his working life attending to the fortunes of a number of market leading brands in the finance, beverage and dairy industries. 

In 2000 he managed to combine a love of wine with the pleasure of a pay cheque and joined Orlando Wines where he spent six years, including a stint in the UK as Regional Manager UK/Europe. At the start of 2006 Andrew returned to Adelaide to help drive Wirra Wirra’s marketing activities on a national and international level. 

He took over the reins as CEO in May 2007 and joined the Board as Managing Director in the following year. 

A cricket fanatic, AFL die-hard and music buff, Andrew continues Wirra Wirra founder Greg Trott’s tradition of combining a passion for wine with an equal devotion to sport and the arts. He mourns the decline of the SA Redbacks cricket team, enthuses on the prospects of the Adelaide Crows and his pride and joy is a ’52 reissue Fender Telecaster that asks much more from him in terms of time and talent than he has to offer. 

In 2007 Andrew was selected as one of 15 wine industry members to participate in the Future Leaders programme, a WFA- backed leadership development initiative aimed at developing a succession plan for stewardship of the Australian wine industry. 

He was also fortunate to be the beneficiary of a South Australian Industry Leaders Fund award in 2014, which saw him spend two weeks at Harvard Business School in Boston undertaking a Key Executive Programme.

Andrew believes that participation in the industry is an important part of any leadership role and has more than returned the industry’s investment. “I think we all have a responsibility, be it at a regional, state or national level to make a contribution,” he says. “One of the driving forces behind the success of our industry has been collaboration and the sharing of knowledge and ideas.” 

True to his word, Andrew has served as a member of the Board of the Winemaker’s Federation of Australia (WFA) and the Boards of the Grape Wine and Research Development Corporation (GWRDC); McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism and the Wine Australia Market Development Advisory Committee (MDAC). 

Outside of the wine industry, he is Chair of the Botanic Gardens Foundation, a Board member of the Botanic Garden and State Herbarium (SA) and also sits on the Board of Centennial Park in South Australia.

Peter Williams, Chief Executive Officer & Director of Phil Hoffmann Travel, has been a part of the company since 1993. Originally employed at Glenelg as a travel consultant, before transferring to the Norwood branch in 1996 to become the Manager. Peter became a Director and subsequently General Manager for Phil Hoffmann Travel when he transferred to the Glenelg head office in 2003, then Chief Executive Officer in 2007.

Prior to Phil Hoffmann Travel, Peter studied at University between 1986 and 1992, is a graduate of Flinders University and University of South Australia, with post graduate qualifications in Commercial Valuation. A 12month sabbatical, travelling around the world led to a love of travel and eventually to a successful 25+ year career in the travel industry. 

Peter promotes a ‘service first mentality’ that flows through the company, has an extremely personal approach to management, whilst embracing technology to stay ahead of the competition. Extremely competitive, Peter strengths include people and change management, industry vision and the ability to motivate & drive a successful team. 

Phil Hoffmann Travel employs more than 200 staff within 10 locations specialising in Retail, Cruise, Business, Incentive and Group Travel. Whilst not actively seeking awards, Peter takes much pleasure in Phil Hoffmann Travel being consistently voted by its industry peers as the AFTA National Travel Agency of the Year (twelve occasions). . Phil Hoffmann Travel has also been voted Australia’s No.1 Corporate Agency at the National Travel Industry Awards and was an inaugural inductee into Qantas Platinum Club. 

Peter currently lives in Somerton Park with his wife Karen and 3 teenage sons. He is a member of the Glenelg Golf Club, played grade cricket for 15 years, is a passionate supporter of the Port Adelaide Football club and lists special interests as anything sporty, family & friends BBQ’s, travelling, food and wine and property development.