Trent Fraser has left LMVH and will return to Australia to lead Top Shelf International’s (TSI) Australian Agave project and international expansion.
Mr Fraser joins the team with more than two decades of experience in wine and spirits, including the last 13 years spent in New York with Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH).
Adelaide born and bred, Mr Fraser spent close to a decade working with Penfolds and Treasury Wine Estates in Australia. In 2008 he took up a position in New York with Moët Hennessy within its luxury spirits portfolio, where he spent nine years as Vice President for the iconic Champagne producer, Dom Perignon.
Staying within the Moët Hennessy wine and spirits family, Mr Fraser was then appointed to build and launch a new international tequila brand, Volcan De Mi Tierra which he built from the ground up over a six-year period, guiding the strategy, branding, route-to-market and overall sales and marketing initiatives, as well as taking a hands-on approach to the establishment of the farming, harvesting and distillation side of the business.
Today it is one of one of most respected Tequila brands in the world and well on its way to becoming a top five player in its category.
TSI CEO Drew Fairchild says that this experience makes him the perfect candidate to develop and rollout TSI’s Australian agave spirit production.
“We could not have found a more well-credentialled, internationally-recognised Australian in the spirits world to help TSI realise its ambition to become Australia’s first globally relevant multi-branded spirits company.
“We’re thrilled he shares our vision and passion to create not only Australia’s first agave spirit of global relevance, but also to help guide our spirits portfolio’s entry into markets around the world.”
Trent Fraser said, “I’m a very proud Aussie and the opportunity to return home to lead something so ground-breaking is undeniably the main driving motivation, as is the rule-breaking, hungry and pioneering attitude of the TSI team. I’m honoured to be part of this amazing team and company.
“Before accepting this role and major life change I obviously needed to test and trial if this concept could work. The team sent to me some of its early experimental liquid and I was immediately impressed. A stunning Agave liquid profile that has been carefully nurtured to flourish outside of its native Mexico will be the next chapter in Agave’s future.”
Mr Fraser relished his experience at LVMH, particularly his work in building the Volcan De Mi Tierra brand from constructing the distillery in Guadalajara to drilling for water, being head down in the intricacies of IP and contractual law to working across diverse customs and cultures.
“The branding and bottle design won numerous awards and we launched into market in 2017 with many accolades and medals in top wines and spirits shows. Today I’m proud to leave behind a legacy of one of the most respected Tequila brands in the world.
“I’ve never been more fired up in my life to apply my agave and international spirits knowledge and learnings to create the best Australian Agave to inspire and share with the world.”
Mr Fraser commences his role in September having left LVMH in June. He is currently living in Portgual with his wife where he is working through the challenges of returning home given the current restrictions due to COVID. He will work remotely until he is able to return to Australia.
