Helen Munday is to become the company's new marketing director in March when she leaves the same role at PLB whilst Angus Clark joins as key account director after eight years helping manage Bibendum's off-trade sales.

Munday, who was part of the HwCg team that joined PLB over three years ago, is seen as vital in helping Hallgarten improve the level of market insight it is able to offer its customers. She has a strong retail background having worked in marketing roles for Boots, Thresher and Wine Rack.

Clark also has a strong retail background having been a buyer for both the Co-op and Somerfield before being national account manager at D&D Wines.

Andrew Bewes, Hallgarten Druitt's managing director, said the appointments were all part of a determination for the company, now in its eightieth year, to kick on to new levels. Munday, for example, was a "first class appointment" and central to his ambitions for the business. "Helen's expertise will prove invaluable as we meet the challenges of growing our business, and delivering on our promise of providing our large customer-base with the best possible service."

Similarly Clark, he added, will help cement Hallgarten's position with its key customers. "National accounts is a critically important area for us and top-class operators like Angus are few and far between. His presence will help deepen our relationships with key buyers and be a key factor in helping us to achieve our ambitious plans for our key producers."

As part of the management shake up, Jim Wilson, currently agency and marketing director will now head up a new brand development team. Bewes added: "With sales of our own brands accounting for 40% of our wholesale sales, dedicated investment in this area is long overdue."

Part of Wilson's role will be to help Hallgarten develop a wider range of own label wines that stretch its private portfolio from entry level to more premium lines, with particular focus on wines that might sell at £20 on a wine list, the traditional home land for some of the branded wine operators.

Susan Harper, who joined Hallgarten Druitt from Hatch Mansfield at the end of 2011, has been promoted to commercial director with the company's five regional sales directors now reporting in to her.

Danielle Whitehead, who graduated from Plumpton College with a First in Viticulture & Oenology in 2012 is joining Hallgarten's marketing department as a New World brand manager.

Rob Lorains, formerly of Vinceremos Wines & Spirits and Oddbins wholesale, has joined Hallgarten Northern sales team and will look after sales to all trade sectors in the Leeds/Sheffield area.

This includes strengthening its producer portfolio by taking on what it claims is the second biggest Italian wine producer, Cevico, from Emilia Romagna. In all Cervico represents 18 Italian wineries. "Opportunities like this are very rare," said Bewes. "As well as the benefits of size, they also offer us access to a myriad of small estates producing a bewildering array of wines, from both established and lesser-known appellations.

"They are also leaders in TetraPak and bag-in-box production, and their recent huge investment is evident in the quality of their production facilities. They have everything!"

Cevico sees Hallgarten as giving it the platform to be able to cover all UK sectors, but in particular target the independent and on-trade.

You can see Cevico and its stable of wines as part of Hallgarten's annual tastings in London's Dorchester February 11 and 12 and Aspire in Leeds on February 13.