The Team
CEO - Henry Sugden
Operations Winemaker - Poppy Seeley
Head Winemaker - Nick Lane
After a career in the British Army, working with small companies in Kenya and a stint in the City, Henry set up Defined Wine in late 2018
Head Winemaker - Nick Lane
Operations Winemaker - Poppy Seeley
Head Winemaker - Nick Lane
Nick was winemaker at Cloudy Bay in New Zealand before spending 5 years in Champagne with Moet and Dom Perignon before joining us during harvest 2020
Operations Winemaker - Poppy Seeley
Operations Winemaker - Poppy Seeley
Operations Winemaker - Poppy Seeley
Poppy has an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology from Plumpton College and completed vintages in Australia, California, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK before starting at Defined during harvest 2019
Cellar Supervisor - Pete Robinson
Cellar Supervisor - Pete Robinson
Cellar Supervisor - Pete Robinson
Pete grew up in Kent and was in wine retail before becoming our first cellar hand in 2019
Lab Assistant - Irena Petsova
Cellar Supervisor - Pete Robinson
Cellar Supervisor - Pete Robinson
Irena gained her BSc in Bulgaria before moving to Kent and working in agriculture labs before starting at Defined in Jan 2021
Cellar Hand - Janneke van der Merwe
Cellar Hand - Janneke van der Merwe
Cellar Hand - Janneke van der Merwe
Janneke joined in time for harvest 2022 and is now working for us full time. She has a BSc in Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch
Cellar Hand - Greg Harries
Cellar Hand - Janneke van der Merwe
Cellar Hand - Janneke van der Merwe
Having worked in wineries whilst travelling round Australia, Greg joined for harvest 2022 and is now working for us full time
Operations Manager - Glen Lishman
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Glen joined us in October 2022 after a career in the British Army and oversees all production, projects and compliance
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Having spent over ten years in the brewing industry - brewing, bottling, quality control, logistics and sales, Pete made the switch into wine and living in East Kent joined the team in Jan 2020
Production Coordinator - Louis Wood
Production Manager - Pete Brissenden
Production Coordinator - Louis Wood
Louis has vintage experience from his native South Australia as well as France and the USA and was previously Logistics Manager at Indigo Wines in London before joining the team in May 2021
Production Hand - Harry Ilman
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Harry grew up in East Kent and joined the team in June 2021
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Originally Australian, Jarred settled locally and joined the team in Mar 2022
Production Hand - Dave Russell
Production Hand - Jarred Lysaught
Production Hand - Dave Russell
Another local, Dave joined the team in 2022
Stock Controller - Nina Julian
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
Nina lives locally and has been sorting out all our stock, storage and dispatch since the summer of 2022
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
A local all his life, Paul joined as our warehouse supervisor in Nov 2021
Office Manager - Carole Cook
Warehouse Supervisor - Paul Jillings
Office Manager - Carole Cook
Carole started her career working for Yapp Brothers, a Wiltshire based independent wine merchant and has WSET level 3. Having moved to Kent with the family, she has looked after our admin since the start