Our Team

At Crush we work with people who are excellent in their own field. We all have our own talents to create the best team.  We are very fortunate to have found so many amazing people to work with as well as creating great long-term partners from around the globe.

 

The producers we chose to work with either own all of their own vineyards or have long-term contracts with their growers. They are passionate, innovative and forward thinking in their approach to winemaking and this control from vineyard to bottle is absolutely essential in producing wines of high quality and unerring consistency. We regularly work alongside these skillful winemakers in the vineyards and wineries to create something extra special: an exciting new blend perhaps, or a wine that completely breaks the mould, or a wine tailor made for a particular market.

 

Here’s an individual introduction to all of our regulars:

Chris Ellis

Chris Ellis

 Managing Director

Chris Ellis founded Crush Wines after twenty-five years in the wine industry. Previously he has worked as Export Director for a large French wine producer and was a founder shareholder of Western Wines. He has also consulted to a number of vineyards, wine producers, distributors and retailers. Chris was at the forefront of the retail wine revolution and has been heavily involved in both production and sales and marketing. He created, sourced and developed brands such as Kumala and Isla Negra and was the first person to bring in brands such as Cono Sur to the European Market.

Edward Vellacott

Edward Vellacott

Commercial Manager

English by birth, Edward was brought up in the South of France from the age of nine.  After completing his French Baccalaureate he returned to the UK to study Management and Spanish at the University of Leeds, the highlight of which was spending a year working in the export division of a Spanish winery in Madrid.  Edward’s trustworthy personality allied with his interpersonal and communication skills continuously help him build strong cross-cultural relationships. He is currently completing his WSET Level 3 Diploma.

Helen Day - Crush Wines

Helen Day

Financial Controller

Helen is the heart of our business, she holds the purse strings and heads up the finance team! Helen has always had an interest in wine and has a passion for French wine in particular. Since becoming part of the Crush team, Helen has been able to pursue this passion and further her wine knowledge. She passed her WSET Advanced certificate with Merit.

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Hélène Temmerman

International Sales and Marketing Manager

Hélène was born and raised in Belgium where she graduated as a bio engineer specializing in Agronomy. To pursue her passion for wine she has worked in countries such as Italy, France, and Croatia to research sustainability practices in the wine sector and to gain practical experience. Her additional Master’s in International Food and Beverage management at the business school of ESCP in Turin and Paris and her previous experience as business manager gave her in-depth knowledge of the commercial aspects of the wine market. Hélène has recently completed the WSET diploma.

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Amber Baker

Finance and Administration Assistant

With over 20 years administration experience, predominately in Health & Safety and Quality, Amber has a very keen eye for detail and a methodical approach to her work.

She has always had an interest in accountancy and is now very much looking forward to expanding her knowledge and career within the Crush Wines finance department.

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Pauline Nardo

International Sales and Marketing Manager

Pauline Nardo grew up in Bordeaux and so has been since her first work experience always in the wine world.

After graduating from Kedge Business School in Bordeaux with a Master’s in Management, she decided to specialise in the wine industry and wanted to gain experience internationally. She started her career in Australia as Export Manager.

Since that she has decided to combine her passion for wine and travel to broaden her skills and knowledge about this industry.
After completing the WSET 3 she gained a whole understanding of the business by accumulating different roles within the wine industry in a different parts of the world.

Her last travels and experiences in Latin America as a volunteer for NGOs have influenced her approach to the wine industry with sustainability as a priority.

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Linda Ellis

Office Manager

Linda makes sure our office is perfect. Along with Helen she helps keep us all in check, ensuring the regular influx of samples and deliveries are logged and processed. Linda organises our regular QC tastings and takes great pleasure in hosting growers and winemakers.