our team
It’s people who power our mission and propel us forward. Our team are a diverse group of multi-disciplinary professionals from across various industries, contributing expert knowledge, governance and a fresh perspective to the F&B sector and beyond.
LEADERSHIP
Adrian Clarke
chairman
Adrian Clarke is Chairman and co-founder of Tenacious Labs. He is also Principal of Delarki - an investment vehicle specialising in the international spirits industry and premium discretionary spend. An alumnus of Harvard Business School, his business interests are international.
Nicholas Morland
Chief Executive Officer
Nicholas Morland is the Chief Executive and co-founder of Tenacious Labs. He is also a Partner in Delarki and a chartered accountant with significant experience in the London international insurance market as well as in international private equity. He holds directorships in a range of geographies and industries including F&B, commodities and finance.
Susie Macarthur
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Susie has 30 years of experience working with high-growth businesses. She was a partner in a product development and marketing business, consulted for major multinational consumer businesses and worked on the launch and scale-up of several major technology companies, including Skype and gaming business King, both of which secured multi-billion dollar exits.
Alan Wilson
CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER
Over the course of his 20+ years incorporate leadership roles, Alan has proven his ability to seed, develop and grow businesses across the globe. His expertise lies in complex deal structuring and working with multi-national businesses to either strengthen their existing market position or reposition themselves within anew market.
George Vassilaras
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Over the course of a 30-year career George has managed businesses in multiple diverse industries and geographies. He started his career at Kraft General Foods and later worked for major F&B companies in Europe and North America. His qualifications span a wide variety of roles, from marketing and sales to business development, international growth and M&A.
sales and marketing
dave steward
GLOBAL SALES director
David has over 30 years’ of entrepreneurial and management experience in the premium spirits industry. His multi-channel understanding of brand management, sales, marketing, and distribution has delivered success for a number of ‘icon’ premium spirits brands in the UK and internationally, including Absolut, Makers Mark, Kraken, Bisquit Cognac, Jose Cuervo and Zubrowka, the UK’s No1 selling flavoured vodka. His past roles included extensive international experience with Pernod Ricard and Proximo Spirits UK, where he was responsible for Jose Cuervo, Kraken Rum & Bushmills.
JESS MACDONALD
design director
Jess started her career at Burberry before moving agency-side as lead creative on clients like F1, Playboy and Jaguar Land Rover. Throughout her career she has built an impressive portfolio of work spanning art direction, editorial, print design and management. She has provided brand and creative solutions for the Royal household, Liberty, and Stella McCartney. Not limited to the commercial space, Jess has been invited back as alumni of Central Saint Martin’s for a talk and also run a mentorship program at her high school.
romy rose reyes
social media manager
Romy is an experienced social media specialist with a decade of experience leading social, influencer, and content initiatives. She has extensive experience in Hong Kong, having worked for start-ups in fashion and for leading brands in the beauty industry, with a proven track record of developing comprehensive social and content strategies, cultivating engaged communities and elevating brand storytelling.
deborah carayon
ecommerce manager
Deborah has extensive eCommerce experience working for global retail brands and agencies such as The Body Shop and THG. She has a proven track record driving substantial revenue growth and leading complex cross-functional, multi-market digital projects.
Elena Demireva
middleweight designer
Elena’s design experience spans across commercial and not-for-profit organisations. She has experience crafting digital marketing solutions for educational and cultural institutions such as University of Greenwich, Northumbria and Redbridge Libraries, and has also worked for a range of hospitality businesses.