Latest news with #TopShelf
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Top Shelf International CEO to step down
CEO of Australian spirits producer Top Shelf International Trent Fraser is stepping down from the company as the business undergoes a restructure. In a statement, the Ned Australian Whisky maker said the decision was made by "mutual agreement", and that Fraser would depart following a six-month transition period which started yesterday (20 May). Fraser, a former LVMH VP who became CEO in 2023, joined the company in 2021 as president of its agave and international operations unit. Top Shelf chairman Julian Davidson, who has been appointed acting executive chairman, said Fraser had seen the group 'through a difficult period'. Fraser said: 'As Top Shelf transitions to a new stage in the life of the business, it is an appropriate time hand over the reigns, and I look forward to ensuring over the course of the coming transition period that the company is well-placed to succeed in the future.' In the same statement, the Victoria-based company said it had initiated a process to 'refresh' its management team to 'align with the company's changing business structure'. "Further details and other key appointments will be announced to the market indue course," it added. The CEO's departure follows Top Shelf's completion of its sale of its Campbellfield facility to Idyll Wine Co. earlier this week for A$8m ($5.15m). The transaction, announced in January, included operational and production assets at the Campbellfield facility and excluded the whisky maturation and warehouse facility at Somerton. Some A$3.2m of the proceeds from the sale have been used to stamp out the company's outstanding excise debts to the Australian Tax Office. In December, Top Shelf said it was mulling over a "potential sale of its business or assets", telling Just Drinks at the time it had appointed EY to advise on potential options. At the time, a spokesperson for Top Shelf said the group had 'received both domestic and international interest', with the company's board starting a 'process to engage the broader wines and spirits community'. At the end of April, the business also postponed its annual general meeting, following multiple deferrals since an adjournment last November. The AGM was rescheduled to 30 June, as the company focused on its sale of the Campbellfield facility, plus "other transactions to be announced to the market indue course". It also said it was still finalising its financial reports for its full-year fiscal 2024 and first-half of its fiscal 2025. "Top Shelf International CEO to step down " was originally created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
RNZ News
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Shouting out, singing in: Rockquest at Parliament
Top Shelf are from Manurewa High School, and 2024 winners of both Smokefree Rockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Last Wednesday at Parliament was unusually fraught. The House was under urgency and debating whether to walk back pay equity legislation and rework wildlife protection law to ease infrastructure projects. By the time the House reached its dinner break, a change of energy was more than welcome. Luckily, in the room next door (the old upper chamber), a function was launching the nationwide school-age performing arts event that began life as the Smokefree Rockquest. Top Shelf are from Manurewa High School. They beat nearly 900 bands to be crowned the 2024 winners of both Smokefree Rockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats, and were one of the acts performing in Parliament's Legislative Council Chamber. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Rockquest alumni Top Shelf again. You can't smash together hip-hop and big-band without a brass section. Shaneya Bayaban and Louise Ponifasio on brass, and bassist Ashton Emerson contributing vocals and volume. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith In another corner of the Top Shelf combo, Taparia 'Taps' Engu shreds guitar on his knees (of course). Taparia also won the inaugural Chloe Wright Scholarship, a three-year tertiary education grant. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Rockquest isn't all senior college students. It has a sibling contest for junior students - Rockshop Bandquest. The combo Sweater Weather from Porirua's Rangikura School secured second place in the Rockshop Bandquest National Finals in 2024 with a rock/hip-hop/kapa-haka combo vibe, Including guitars obviously... Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Sweater Weather had an all-female front four. This photo shows the temporary performance stage, smack in front of the Legislative Council Chamber's 'throne zone', from where the sovereign would address Parliament. Not a bad location. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Youth does not preclude speed. This Sweater Weather frontwoman is a rapid chopper. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Because this was the launch of the 2025 edition of Smokefree Rockquest, Bandquest, Showquest, Toi, Tangata Beats and Onscreen, speeches were inevitable. Pete Rainey is one of the founders of Rockquest and was a teacher back in 1989, when he and others expanded the competition beyond Christchurch. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Another alumni, Emerson was the solo/duo winner in 2024. Her song 'Bored' also won ZM's Best Song award at the National Final. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Whenever an event like this comes to Parliament - and a lot do - it is 'sponsored' by an MP. You can't do much better than the landlord. Speaker Gerry Brownlee was quite obviously impressed with his guests. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Troy Kingi was a Rockquest competitor in 2002. Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is one of many examples of highly successful artists whose early careers have included a tilt at a Smokefree Rockquest title. He has now acted in numerous films, won two Vodafone NZ Music Awards and a Taite Music Prize. In 2020, he was awarded the Mātairangi Mahi Toi Māori Artist Residency at Government House. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Another alumnus, Georgia Lines won the Smokefree Rockquest in 2014 and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith National MP Paul Goldsmith is a keyboardist himself, so probably appreciated a return to the 'me and my keyboard' format. The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage showed his loyalty on the day with a NZ Music Month pin. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith Among the recently added competitions is one for wearable arts. There are also contests for video production and stills photography. Both were on show in Parliament's Grand Hall and the outcomes were impressive. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith To round off the evening, as MPs were back next door to debate the protection of wildlife, Wellington Girls' College student Greer Castle added some smooth jazz and R&B originals. *RNZ's The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament's Office of the Clerk. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Time of India
21-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Top Shelf with Vandana Luthra: More Than a Pretty Business
New Delhi: 'That's the message I want every woman to hear: Y ou are already an entrepreneur — you just don't have a formal title yet. ' This is not just a statement - it's a philosophy that defines Vandana Luthra 's life and legacy. Long before 'wellness' became a buzzword, she quietly laid the foundation for what would become one of India's most influential homegrown brands — VLCC. Over three decades later, the brand continues to grow, empower, and inspire. In this candid and far-ranging conversation with Pallavi Goel for the latest edition of Top Shelf, Vandana Luthra, Founder, VLCC takes us through the defining moments of her journey — from being dismissed as a young woman with a dream, to building a global wellness powerhouse. She speaks of grit, growth, the importance of empathy in leadership, and why the next generation must carry the torch with both heart and head. Edited Excerpts below: On building VLCC from scratch, before 'wellness' was even a thing Vandana Luthra: It all started with a simple idea. Back in the '80s, when I was studying in Germany, I saw how wellness was treated as a science — an integration of nutrition, fitness, dermatology, and beauty. It wasn't just about looking good, it was about feeling good, from the inside out. I came back to India with this vision burning inside me: to build something that would transform the way people — especially women — thought about themselves. But India wasn't ready. People laughed. They couldn't understand why the daughter-in-law of a respected business family would want to open what they thought was just a 'beauty parlour.' I was mocked, underestimated, and dismissed. But I didn't let that stop me. I was determined to show that beauty wasn't superficial. That it could be Luthra The first VLCC centre opened in Delhi in 1989. It was a modest space. We didn't have big budgets or fancy equipment, but we had knowledge, compassion, and purpose. The journey wasn't easy. People told me I was wasting my time — that Indian women wouldn't spend on themselves. But I knew they would, if only we gave them the respect they deserved. If we spoke to them with empathy, not judgment. If we offered science, not quick fixes. Over the years, we built something bigger than I ever imagined. We expanded across India and went global — to the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and even East Africa. On legacy and reinvention Vandana Luthra: When I founded VLCC in 1989, the term 'wellness' wasn't part of everyday vocabulary in India. People didn't fully understand it — but I did. I had a clear vision: to build the largest and most respected science-backed wellness brand in the country. I imported the best technology from Germany at a time when doing so was both rare and expensive. VLCC wasn't just ahead of its time — it was building the future of an industry that didn't yet exist. We didn't just serve consumers — we organised an entire sector, creating a pipeline of talent through our institutes, raising the bar for wellness delivery in India and beyond. Today, the tools have evolved — more doctors, better technology, deeper R&D — but the soul of VLCC remains the same: delivering medically guided transformation that makes people feel beautiful, healthy, and confident. On the battles no one saw Vandana Luthra: Oh, we're talking about the 1980s — and back then, not a lot of women were in the workforce, much less entrepreneurs. There were structural challenges — getting loans, designing a centre, and hiring talent when there was no existing talent pool. And then there were personal challenges too. I was a young mother, raising two children, managing a household, teaching, cooking, cleaning — everything. I was time-starved. I remember running on three to four hours of sleep in those early years. But the vision was clear: to build a medically credible, transformative wellness brand — not driven by glamour, but by science and care. It was never about just running a business — it was about creating a space where people could come for real, effective, health-first transformations. And that purpose gave me strength. On that moment of realisation: 'I've created an ecosystem' Vandana Luthra: Every day on this journey, there's been a moment that's left me in awe — a moment that reminded me why I started. From the very beginning, 70 per cent of our workforce was women. It was always my dream to empower the women of this country, and VLCC became that vehicle of change. When we opened our first few clinics, we couldn't offer high fixed salaries, but I introduced a strong variable component. Everyone — especially the women — could earn well beyond their base. I shared the clinic's profitability transparently with each center head. They weren't just employees; they were my partners. I never saw them as staff. I saw them as family — people I trusted, respected, and loved. And you have to strike a balance — between the material and the emotional, between home and work, between the head and the heart. That's something I feel a lot of young entrepreneurs today don't quite understand. Many of them are too harsh, too transactional. That's not leadership. I've always stood by my people — I've hugged them, thanked them, celebrated them. That's what builds a lasting organisation. On what she still wants to do next Vandana Luthra: Wellness has been a part of me for as long as I can remember. My mother was an Ayurveda doctor associated with a charitable yoga association, and from the age of 13, I knew this is where my heart belonged. So yes, VLCC was always going to happen. The belief in beauty inside out, has always been my compass. But if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be this: start sooner on adolescent obesity and parental awareness. Now that I'm a grandmother to four, I see how food habits are evolving — and frankly, how misunderstood nutrition is today. What aches the most is that we often approach health only after a problem appears. But wellness should start at home, at school, in early childhood — and it should be proactive, not reactive. Looking ahead, I want to build stand-alone centres that address adolescent obesity holistically — combining nutrition, mental well-being, and family education. I want to see parental awareness programs become as essential as math or science in school curricula. Because when you equip a family with the right knowledge, you shape healthier, happier futures. And finally, what would she title her autobiography? Vandana Luthra : Maybe something playful, something Bollywood-like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara! Because at the end of the day, this is the only life we've got. People talk too much about past lives or future lives — I say, forget all that. Live in the now. That's what truly matters. You've got to live life on your own Luthra Editor's Note: In a world where success is often measured in scale and speed, Vandana Luthra's story is a reminder that true impact is built over decades, with purpose and resilience. As the founder of VLCC, she didn't just start a business; she ignited an entire industry and reshaped how India sees wellness, self-care, and women-led entrepreneurship. In this candid conversation, she opened up about the battles she fought to be taken seriously, the barriers she broke for women in business, and the legacy she's still building.
Bloomberg
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Uncorking the Oldest Irish Single Malt Whiskey: Bushmills 46
Top Shelf gets an exclusive first look and first taste. Plus: Three bottles of single pot still to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. By Save Sláinte, whiskey fans, it's Brad Japhe. St. Paddy's Day is less than two weeks away, and in this special early edition of Top Shelf, I come with exciting intel that promises to inspire immediate celebration. Bushmills, the Emerald Isle's oldest licensed distillery, is about to drop not only its rarest—and most mature—single malt expression ever, but Irish whiskey's, too. Allow me to uncork the details. But first, in other whiskey news …
