(Drinksretailingnews) - Welcome to our annual list of the 100 most influential people in the UK wine industry, covering retailers, suppliers, wholesalers, writers, TV stars and lobbyists.

It was a pleasure to compile the list, because it is bursting with dynamism and entrepreneurialism and suggests the trade will continue to thrive with these individuals at the helm. Retailers occupy several top positions because they are the gateway to millions of consumers and their decisions shape the UK’s drinking habits and suppliers’ strategies. But overall they are outnumbered by suppliers and general influencers, who are doing a great job securing the future health of the wine industry and tackling the big issues facing the trade. 

As ever, it is likely to spark debate, but we hope you find it an enjoyable read.

1 Diana Hunter

Chief executive, Conviviality

The Conviviality chief executive presides over an empire spanning the length and breadth of the country and taking in such big industry names as Bargain Booze, Wine Rack, Matthew Clark and Bibendum PLB. She starts her day at “horrific o’clock”, when she climbs into her mobile office in the back of a hybrid Porsche Cayenne. It is equipped with a printer and wifi so she can crack on with her work, ensuring that when she arrives at her destination she can get out and talk to employees, customers and shareholders. 

Conviviality has 2,700 staff and supplies 25,000 on-trade accounts, its own huge retail estate, independents and multiples, festivals and events, with more than 10,000 alcohol SKUs, so there is a lot of talking to do. The Cayenne heads from Bristol to Primrose Hill to Crewe – Conviviality’s regional hubs – and back again throughout the week, stopping at numerous retail outlets and depot centres along the way.