MIKE LAING

Mike joined armit as Head of Client Sales in 2005. His enthusiasm for terroir-driven, high quality wines continues unabated and he is relishing his central role within the company. He advises a number of our largest clients on some impressive wine collections. Away from armit, Mike is a terrible but enthusiastic golfer and has recently found a calling as a trampoline for his baby daughter, born in 2007.

VICTORIA OLIVER-BELLASIS

Tory has been working in the Wine Trade for over 6 years.  After spending some time working for Courvoisier in Cognac she moved to Corney & Barrow before joining armit in 2004.  She completed her WSET Diploma in 2003 and enjoys playing tennis and sailing. Tory is currently on maternity leave but we look forward to welcoming her back again soon.

STEVE WEIDS

After graduating in Fine Art Steve spent time in both Italy and the USA exploring the world of wine. On returning to these shores, he worked at Harvey Nichols before joining the team at armit. Steve has worked in the Wine business for over ten years.

MARIANNA BRICE-TAKACS

Having graduated in Marketing and Economics in her native Hungary, Marianne gained a winemaking and business MBA at the University of Dijon. She then moved to England and built up three years of wine sales and marketing experience before moving to armit in February 2005. She is still coming to terms with the loss of long, sun-kissed continental summers, but manages to compensate for this with her love of photography, cinema and her husband's cooking.

JACQUI RENIRIE

Jacqui graduated from Stellenbosch University (South Africa) with a Bachelor of Science Degree majoring in Viticulture and Oenology. She has since completed 2 harvest seasons abroad, one at Thelema Mountain Vineyards (South Africa) and the other at Haselgrove Winery (South Australia). Jacqui joined armit in May 2004, starting in Operations then moving on to assist the buying team and more recently to join the Private Client Sales team.

PETE GOSS

Pete graduated in History of Art from Goldsmith’s College and subsequently spent three years at Christie’s dealing in antique furniture before giving in to his passion for wine. After two years of tasting and selling fine wine at Roberson’s in Kensington he joined the Private Client team at armit. Due to his Norwegian roots, he snowboards and claims to be a master fly fisherman.

RHIAN ROSSER

A ‘wanabee wine connoisseur’ Rhian graduated from the University of Manchester in 2006 with a degree in French and Italian. While living in Bologna she was introduced to Italian wine. She spent her first year as a graduate in Lyon working in the international mobile phone business, but having realized how thoroughly boring phones are in comparison to wine, she moved to London in search of a job which needed both Italian and French and focused on wine – an essential part of the French and Italian culture.

FRANCOIS DE BROGLIO

François has been selling wine for many years in a variety of roles, most recently with Laithwaites/The Sunday Times Wine Club, but also in the past with Oddbins, Jeroboams, and L’Assemblage Fine Wine Traders. Burgundy is his particular field of expertise, but has thorough knowledge of all the main viticultural areas on the wine map. He holds a degree in Culinary Arts Technology from his time in the US, but only uses it to woo his lovely wife Jo and impress his hungry friends. Loves to walk in Richmond Park with his Irish Terrier Molly, has everything on his ipod, and plays ok Squash although he can only manage about 15 minutes. He is also fluent in French.

NICK PALMER

Nick read engineering at the University of Birmingham and discovered his passion for wine whilst funding his studies at Oddbins.  He has since worked in the wine trade for the past 8 years, spending time at Laithwaites before joining Armit in March 2008.  Nick is a keen cricket fan, fair-weather golfer & occasional Pyrotechnician for the UK’s premier firework display company.

GUS DANOWSKI

Gus recently joined armit having worked for New York wine giant Sherry-Lehmann since 2006. Originally a trained professional actor and director, Gus’ love of wine overtook his passion to tread the boards when he had the fortune to taste Château Mouton Rothschild 1945.  Already in possession of his WSET Advanced certificate, Gus is now preparing for his diploma studies.