The Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) has appointed Richard Harding as the new principal of its flagship London school in Bermondsey.
While a newcomer to the wine and spirits trade, Harding has spent the past eight years at Nacro, a national education provider.
Before joining the WSET, he managed Nacro’s education delivery across London and the south of England as its faculty manager, a position he held for over three years. Nacro provides a wide range of vocational courses across various different sectors.
Harding will now be responsible for the standards of teaching at the London school, managing and developing the team of certified educators and planning the school’s annual course and tasting schedules.
The news follows the departure of the out-going principal, Jim Gore, who is leaving the WSET to establish his own academy that will support students studying for their Diploma through bespoke masterclasses.
UK business development director at the WSET, Graham Cox, commented: “Richard has extensive experience of managing the delivery of Ofqual-accredited qualifications in the public sector and has the key skills we require to manage the phenomenal demand for qualifications that the school sees. Richard is working with the existing teams to enable us to continue delivering world-class qualifications and additional learning programmes through our flagship school”.
Harding added: “I am looking forward to using the expertise I have gained in my previous roles in the education sector to lead the continual success of WSET School London. Having always had a natural passion for wine and spirits, I am thrilled to join this dynamic industry and help drive it forward by supporting professionals and consumers to become more knowledgeable”.
As well as courses, from levels one through to four (Diploma), the school has recently expanded its offering to include other events for both trade and consumers, including tasting events and career seminars given by key industry personalities and WSET alumni.
