Decanter World Wine AwardsDecision looms over Miguel Torres succession
- Wednesday 2 February 2011
Under company regulations, Miguel Torres will retire this year when he reaches his 70th birthday, as Sarah Jane Evans MW discovers in a profile of the business featured in the March issue of Decanter magazine.
Torres, Decanter Man of the Year in 2002, has two out of his three children involved in the business: daughter Mireia Torres, the company’s technical director; and son Miguel Torres Jr, currently running Torres’ Chilean interests.
The common assumption is that one of the two will take over from their father, but Evans writes in the profile: ‘The question nags: who will he choose? If they know, they’re not telling.’
Torres called in consultants to draw up a succession protocol, limiting the future involvement of family members in the business and requiring them to have a university degree and at least three years’ external experience before joining the company.
Miguel Torres Snr, who took over the company when his father died in 1991, has pioneered a number of new ventures in his career with the business, including investing in Chile and establishing joint ventures in China and India.
More recently, the company’s Spanish wine interests have expanded into Toro, Ribera del Duero, Priorat and Rioja.
For the full profile of Torres, see the March issue of Decanter magazine, out now.
Have your say!
Marimar
February 06 17:01
Well, the daughter is very bright and well qualified, so why couldn't they both be in charge? Plus, she is now managing the Priorat winery and Jean Leon. So we'll see...
Silvia
February 03 15:31
I bet it will be the son, because Torres is from Spain, "macho" latin country. I remember her sister,Marimar Torres, who has a wonderful winery in California, the struggle she had inter familiae, inside family, to be allowed to go her on way. My bet, the male will win.