Kliro Capital Welcomes Ed Cottrell as CEO of Fortitude Spirits Group

Kliro Capital Partners is pleased to announce that Ed Cottrell has been appointed as CEO of Fortitude Spirits Group. This follows Kliro Capital’s acquisition of Intercontinental Brands in June 2023 and the launch of Fortitude Spirits Group in October 2024.

Ed brings to the team, knowledge, experience and a strong network, built over 28 years in the drinks industry. Having started his career as an Army Officer, Ed then joined Diageo where he spent 14 years, including leading its prestige business, Justerini & Brooks. Ed has held number of other roles including Commercial Director of Enterprise Inns (now Stonegate Group), Managing Director of William Grant & Sons’ Global Travel Retail business and, most recently, leading the Category team at MMI - Maritime and Mercantile International in the UAE. He has also been Non-Executive Chair of Saccone & Speed in Gibraltar, since 2022.

A Vision for Growth and Leadership

Commenting on Ed’s appointment, Warren Scott, Chairman of Kliro Capital Partners, said:

“I am delighted to welcome Ed to the Fortitude Spirits Group at an important point in our journey. Ed brings a unique combination of UK commercial insight together with international premium brand expertise. His roles at Diageo and Stonegate provided hands-on experience in the highly competitive UK spirits industry, across different categories and price points, in both the on and off-trade channels. His time at William Grant & Sons, and more recently with MMI, has enabled him to be at the forefront of international premium brand development, providing detailed insight into European, Middle East and Asian spirit markets.

As we move into 2025, Fortitude Sprits Group, under Ed’s leadership, will accelerate the building of its own premium brand portfolio along with its existing value brands and commercial activities. In addition, the business will commence the UK distribution of a collection of exciting third party-owned international brands as well as expand the international operations of the group through the appointment of distributors in key overseas markets.

This is an exciting time for Fortitude Spirits Group and Kliro Capital is looking forward to supporting Ed in pursuit of our ambitious goals.”

Ed Cottrell’s Vision for the Future

Speaking on his appointment, Ed said:

“I am thrilled to be joining Fortitude Spirits Group, at this important time. The management team is a good combination of the new and the established, the brand portfolio is exciting and well-positioned, and there are significant opportunities with our partners to grow at scale in both the UK and internationally. I am convinced we can rapidly build a highly respected and successful UK-based international spirits’ company.”

Ed will work closely with the MD of Fortitude Drinks UK, Nick England and with the MD of Fortitude Spirits, Paul Cornell to drive Fortitude Spirits Group’s ambitious goals.

Kliro Capital’s Strategic Support

Kliro Capital is committed to supporting Fortitude Spirits Group’s growth strategy with the ambition of becoming one of the leading independent UK spirit companies. The appointment of Ed Cottrell highlights Kliro’s dedication to fostering exceptional leadership in its portfolio companies as the group moves into the next exciting phase of expansion in 2025 and then beyond.

For additional details, please visit the Fortitude Spirits Group