最近几天，中国最大葡萄酒进口商ASC精品酒业，其高层发生变动。ASC董事会正式任命华金声（Mr. John D. Watkins）为新的企业执行总裁。华金声其丰富的大型跨国企业管理经验，相信对ASC在越发激烈竞争的葡萄酒行业中，进一步扩张发展，会有很大裨益。当然作为ASC最大股东的日本三得利(Suntory)集团，看来也接受本次变动。不过对于前期很多关于ASC大股东三得利(Suntory)集团和联合创始人兼首席执行总裁沈品同先生（Mr. Don St. Pierre Jr.）之间的一些传言，这次变动也可能是某种折中的解决方案。
——-下面是ASC精品酒业关于此事的新闻稿全文——
ASC精品酒业新任命董事会执行主席与首席执行总裁
沈品同(Don St. Pierre Jr.)被任命为董事会执行主席，华金声(John D. Watkins)被任命为首席执行总裁。
圣皮尔精品酒业（上海）有限公司董事会今天宣布，公司联合创始人兼首席执行总裁沈品同先生（Mr. Don St. Pierre Jr.），已被任命为董事会执行主席，华金声先生（Mr. John D. Watkins）将接替沈品同先生出任首席执行总裁一职。此任命于2012年10月15日起生效。
华金声（John D. Watkins）
沈品同（Don St. Pierre Jr.）
作为董事会执行主席，沈品同先生将继续积极参与公司的业务管理，并重点关注公司业务发展的战略规划，其中包括国产葡萄酒业务，直销业务，以及进一步加强ASC与其合作伙伴和供应商的长期合作关系。
华金声先生在中国多个行业领域拥有超过25年的成功经验，包括改善收益、利润及市场占有率、提升人才和股东价值，建立良好的合作伙伴关系，探索新的商机，优化现有业务以及推动中国和美国财富500强企业的合作。华金声先生同样也是一个狂热的葡萄酒爱好者， 他是ASC的第一个直销客户，与圣皮尔家族的渊源可以追溯到上世纪80年代。
华金声先生在加入ASC公司之前牵头组建了通用公司与中国航空工业集团公司各占50%股权的合资企业——中航通用电气民用航电系统有限责任公司，并在其中担任总裁兼首席执行官一职。
加入通用电气公司（GE）之前，华金声先生曾担任康明斯公司副总裁以及康明斯（中国）投资有限公司主席兼首席执行官，公司在华拥有7000名员工及21个业务办事处。在他的带领下，康明斯公司在中国的营业收入和利润6年间翻了两番。
华金声先生也曾供职于美国西北航空公司长达18年之久，并在其中担任多个高管职位。其在该公司的最后职位是中国区副总裁兼总经理，主要负责西北航空公司在中国的经营，销售，客户服务，定价及业务拓展。
“我对于ASC董事会选择我接替沈品同先生出任ASC首席执行总裁一职深感荣幸也很高兴。 自上世纪90年代后期，我一直以钦佩的眼光关注着ASC，圣皮尔父子与其专业团队一道不仅极其成功地创立了ASC公司，更重要的是在中国创立了葡萄酒鉴赏文化。”华金声先生说道：“我的目标是通过与董事会和管理团队紧密合作将公司的增长能力，盈利能力及服务水平提升到一个新的高度，从而进一步提高中国市场对优质葡萄酒的鉴赏水平。”
“对于华金声先生能加入我们我感到非常兴奋，因为他是我和我父亲相识相知多年并且非常尊重的一位老友。他不仅是一位杰出的商人，并且也是一位具有诸如信守承诺，行事专业，为人正直及工作努力等优秀品质的人。他的这些优秀品质必将助其在我们的行业中也一样取得成功。”沈品同先生说道：“ASC在过去的16年里取得了突飞猛进的进展，我们之所以能取得如此巨大的成功，是得益于我们对高品质葡萄酒和高标准客户服务的持续关注，以及我们引领变革的能力。这一切都通过我们对产品知识的培训教育的重视，以及近期在二、三线市场的急速扩张得到了充分的体现。我们一贯致力于置身市场前沿并在大中华地区引领精品葡萄酒市场。任命华金声先生为首席执行总裁是我们确保置身于市场前沿的又一有力举措，因为这将使ASC的管理团队不仅成为大中华地区葡萄酒行业中最强大的团队，而且也是区域内所有行业中最优秀的管理团队之一。虽然我在ASC的职位有所调整，但是我对公司的所有权不变。今后我将集中精力与时间更多地关注新的和更加重要的业务增长点。同时我也将与华金声先生以及我们的执行委员会其他成员，如首席运营总裁张浩先生、品牌和市场运营副总裁卢大卫先生及ASC副总裁兼藏酒轩总裁莫思凡先生紧密合作，进一步推动我们业务的持续增长，并就如何进一步增强与客户和供应商的关系进行指导。”
华金声先生在中国是一位活跃的社团领袖。他曾在2009-2010年度内被两次推选和担任在华的美国商会主席，在他的带领和努力下，商会在诸如自主创新，市场准入，知识产权保护及出口管制等方面与政府部门进行了卓有成效的交流并积极进言献策。
华金声先生持有迈阿密大学市场营销理学士学位和斯坦福大学的研究生院工商管理硕士学位。他还在1980年初在上海师范学院完成了两年的中国普通话语言培训课程。
华金声先生和他的妻子Dinah和两个孩子Nicholas，Amelia Josephine现居住在上海。
关于ASC精品酒业：
ASC 精品酒业是中国葡萄酒进口及经销行业的领导者，在全国26个城市设有分公司及办事处，拥有优秀员工一千多名。曾被世界葡萄酒评论界的泰斗人物罗伯特·帕克先生誉为“中国精品葡萄酒进口行业的翘楚”。
源于对优质服务的不懈追求，ASC拥有最优质的合作伙伴和强大的品牌阵容，现已囊括了全球100多个著名葡萄酒品牌，1200多款精品佳酿。凭借无与伦比的精品酒阵容，ASC致力于为大中华的葡萄酒热爱者获得血统纯正的珍贵佳酿，提供最值得信赖的专业服务。
ASC 精品酒业在上海、北京和香港共同经营 “藏酒轩”。ASC藏酒轩，作为满足ASC客户和合作伙伴全方位需求的展示平台，是爱酒人士聚会品酩的美酒会所，更是完美的葡萄酒教育培训场地.
The board of ASC Fine Wines announced today that Don St. Pierre Jr., Co-founder and CEO has been appointed Executive Chairman of the Board and John D. Watkins has been appointed to succeed St. Pierre as the Chief Executive Officer. The change is effective October 15, 2012.
As Executive Chairman of the Board, St. Pierre will remain heavily involved in the business, with a strong focus on strategic business development initiatives, including the domestic wine sector, the consumer direct business and further strengthening ASC’s long term relationship with its partners & suppliers.
Watkins has more than twenty-five years of success in China in multiple industries leading improvements in revenues, profits, market share, talent and shareholder value, building partnerships, establishing new businesses, optimizing existing operations, and engaging the US and Chinese governments for Fortune 500 global corporations. Watkins is also an avid wine enthusiast, was ASC’s first home delivery customer and has known the St. Pierre family since the 1980’s.
Watkins was most recently President & CEO at GE AVIC Civil Avionics Systems Company, where he led the establishment of the 50-50 joint venture between GE and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC), the position he leaves to join ASC.
Prior to joining GE, Watkins was a Corporate Vice President of Cummins Inc. and Chairman and CEO of Cummins (China) Investment Co., Limited, where he led Cummins team of 7,000 people in 21 locations in China. Cummins revenues and profits in China quadrupled during the six years Watkins led the organization.
Watkins also held various senior positions at Northwest Airlines over 18 years. In his last position, as Corporate Vice President& General Manager – China, he was responsible for the airline’s operations, sales, customer service, pricing, administration and business development in China.
“I am honored and delighted that the ASC board selected me to succeed Don Jr. as CEO of ASC Fine Wines. Since the late-1990’s I watched in admiration as Don Sr., Don Jr. and their team of professionals not only built a highly successful business, but also built a culture of wine appreciation in China” , said Watkins. “My goal, working with the board and the ASC team, is to take the company to the next level of growth, profitability and customer service and to further enhance appreciation for good wines in China.”
“I am very excited about this change, because John Watkins is someone that my father and I have known and respected for many years. John is not only an outstanding businessman but he is a good person whose proven commitment to professionalism, integrity, and hard work position him well for success in our industry.” said St. Pierre. “ASC grew dramatically over the past 16 years. The basis for our success is ASC’s focus on high quality wines and service and our ability to lead through innovation, whether that is ASC’s focus on wine education & training or our more recent rapid expansion into 2nd and 3rd tier cities. We always aimed to stay ahead and lead the market for quality wines throughout Greater China. John’s appointment as CEO is another bold step towards staying out front by ensuring ASC’s leadership team is not only the strongest in the Greater China wine industry, but also is one of the strongest teams in any industry in the region. While my role will change in ASC, my ownership will not. I will focus my energy and time on exciting, new and important opportunities we have for growth. I will also work closely with John and our executive team, including Zhang Hao, COO, David Lucas, VP of Marketing/Supplier relations and Stephane Moreau, President of ASC consumer direct business, providing my counsel on how to further strengthen our relationships with customers and suppliers, while we continue to grow the business.”
Watkins is active as a community leader in China. He was twice elected to and served as Chairman for the American Chamber of Commerce in China from 2009 – 2010 where he led the Chamber’s efforts to influence and shape government policies on indigenous innovation, market access, intellectual property protection and export controls.
Watkins holds a B.S. in marketing from Miami University, and a master’s degree in management from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He also completed two years of Mandarin Chinese language training at Shanghai Normal College in the early-1980s.
Watkins, who lives in Shanghai, is married to Dinah and they have two children, Nicholas and Amelia Josephine.
About ASC Fine Wines:
ASC Fine Wines is China’s leading fine wine importer and distributor with 26 branches and over 1,100 personnel across the Greater China region. It was described as “China’s greatest fine wine importer” by legendary wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr.
With its constant focus on quality, ASC partners with the finest brands to create an exceptional portfolio, which now includes over 1,200 premium labels from 100 plus world-renowned wineries from around the world. ASC’s incomparable fine wine portfolio and expertise offer wine connoisseurs in Greater China the most trustworthy source for the finest wines.
ASC Fine Wines also operates The Wine Residence in Shanghai and The Wine Gallery in Beijing and Hong Kong. They are remarkable locations providing a full and broad wine service to ASC’s customers and partners, as well as being a wine education centre to inspire consumers to better understand and enjoy fine wines.
