Wine sector an exciting place for women to be

Almost a decade at the helm of her family business, Ridgeview CEO Tamara Roberts shares her journey of breaking norms and encourages more women to join the wine industry.

In 2014, Tamara was appointed CEO of her 27-year-old English sparkling wine family business, Ridgeview, which was first started by her parents in the early 1990s. Working alongside her brother, Simon, Director of Winemaking, Ridgeview has enjoyed numerous successes over the years, including recently being accredited as a B Corp, one of only 25 wineries in the globe. 

Through Tamara’s personal drive and passion, she has overseen the growth of Ridgeview not only in terms of production & sales, but also brand awareness. Furthermore, as a testament to Tamara’s experience and reputation she was awarded ‘Sussex Businessperson of the Year’ in the 2018 Sussex Business Awards and the Dynamic Award in the Women in Business Dynamic Awards 2022. 

She says: “I was lucky to be born into a very supportive and entrepreneurial family who always focused on the person and not the gender. My father demonstrated the ultimate act of delegation by stepping aside and allowing me to become the CEO of Ridgeview a year before his passing. This inevitably left us all with a huge hole not only personally but professionally and it very much felt like sink or swim, which is probably why I felt an overwhelming feeling of determination to deliver Dad’s vision for the business. I felt empowered by the trust and belief he had in me, and I learnt so much from him about what it takes to be a leader of an ambitious, growing SME, I thought I would share some of these learnings for International Women’s Day.”

In 2020 she was announced as IWSC’s (International Wine & Spirit Competition Awards) President. This was the first time that an English wine producer had been appointed since the inaugural competition in 1976 and is only the fourth women to have been appointed for this highly regarded role – proof to the rising global status of the English wine industry and most importantly, showcasing that females are becoming trailblazers in an industry which, for so many years, has been male dominated. 

“I feel very fortunate to be a woman in the position I am in at Ridgeview and the English Wine Industry at large, which is, in my experience far more progressive and open than many others out there. However, there is still a lot of tradition and unconscious bias that has and will, create obstacles in the workplace for women,” Tamara adds.

What makes a good leader?

“The key thing I’ve learnt about being a leader is it’s not supposed to be overly complicated. Much of the time it comes down to listening, learning and being observant in order to know when change is needed and being brave enough to make and manage those changes through the business. I invest time in my own personal development with networks such as MDHUB and Vistage so I am held accountable for my commitments and actions.

“Any business coach or mentor will tell you that delegation is a key part of leadership and it’s critical if you want your business to thrive, I learnt this early on from my father. It is one of the biggest challenges in growing SME’s as often the leaders have been used to doing ‘everything’ which becomes impossible as the business grows.  

“Recognise when specialists are needed and define their roles and responsibilities within the business. Leaders must fully embrace this transition and guide rather than control – there is no point bringing in a specialist who probably has more experience than you in their field, to then micro- manage them, it is counter-productive.  

“This also applies more widely to finding customers, suppliers and peers to work and hang out with who share your values. It will take time and effort to find ‘your tribe,’ but in the long run it will be better for all involved and allow the business and your team to flourish – I believe that’s what we do at Ridgeview.”

You’re only as good as your team

‘“In order to lead, you must trust your team and demonstrate this trust. Do you allow your Senior Managers to make decisions and commitments on behalf of the business without your prior approval, within pre-defined and well communicated limits?  If not, why not?  Good leadership is not a dictatorship and delegation of decision making is an important element to demonstrating the trust you have in your team. 

“It is undeniable that understanding what motivates people in your team unlocks high performance. The skill is once you know what motivates someone, always ask yourself as a leader, how do I harness this for the benefit of the business?”

Are gaps opportunities?

“Being a woman in English wine production right now is really exciting, and with that brings a refreshing sense of freedom. That said, it is still a small industry and senior roles are hard to come by, but I do see this changing in the future…it needs to. Having women in senior leadership positions is essential to a business’s success. 

“Another noticeable gap is women in production roles. We need to have women across all areas of the industry to see our influence grow and to do this the industry needs to find ways to be flexible in these areas as well as more office-based roles.”                               

Can we have it all?

“I have been very fortunate that I have been able to have the flexibility to work and be a mother and would not change that for the world. However, I know many are not in the same position, that’s why I work hard to remove as many obstacles as I can for women wishing to work at Ridgeview – it’s not easy sometimes but we try to be as flexible as we can be. As I said, it’s crucial we get more women in the wine industry, and leaders need to ensure they’re providing the opportunities for their female employees to get to those more senior roles.”

https://www.ridgeview.co.uk/