President - Emmanuel Loucas
Since 2014, Manny has held various positions within WAWPC and has once again agreed to lead the direction of WAWPC and has been President since 2018.
Manny has been a member since 1994. He joined the committee soon after in 1997 and was president from 2009 to 2011.
Entering the Wine Industry in 1985, Manny’s career in the liquor industry began as the Western Australian (WA) area manager for Lindeman Wines.
Progressed to Penfold Wine Group and Southcorp Wines, where he spent over 16 years as the area manager and eventual sales manager respectively.
In 2006 Manny moved to De Bortoli Wines as the company’s WA sales manager, where shortly after in 2008 he undertook his current role as De Bortoli’s State Manager for WA.
With his long-term involvement within the industry, Manny has extensive sales and management experience, demonstrated through a variety of industry channels, from National Account management, Liquor Store operation, ‘On-premise’ based work and Hotel administration.
Gerome Vaughan.
A member of WA WPC since 2019 and elected to the committee in 2022, Gerome is currently serving as the Club Committee Acting Treasurer.
With over 30 years in Western Australia’s hospitality and wine industries, Gerome has built a rich and rewarding career, working alongside industry trailblazers both locally and nationally. In his previous role with Fine Wine Partners, and in association with Rob Broadhurst, he represented WA as State Ambassador for WSET, the Court of Master Sommeliers, and the Gourmet Traveller Wine List of the Year Awards.
Today, as State Sales Manager at Burch Family Wines, Gerome continues his commitment to supporting businesses and individuals across WA while actively promoting the state’s wine industry across all channels.
WSET Level 3 qualified and holding a BA (Hons) in Learning and Development, Gerome is a strong advocate for training and education. He believes fostering a culture of learning is fundamental to developing future leaders, and he champions an ethos of exceptional customer experiences built on continuous industry training and development.
Outside of work, Gerome enjoys food, wine, sunshine, and the occasional aperitivo shared with family and friends.
Jay Beeson.
Jay Beeson is co-owner of Old Bridge Cellars, a family-run independent liquor retailer with stores in North Fremantle and Como. After taking over the business in 2012, Jay reshaped its focus towards small-batch, local and artisan producers, building a reputation for thoughtful curation and warm, community-focused service. His personal, customer-first approach that has helped foster long-term relationships and strong ties with local makers and drinkers alike.
Under Jay’s leadership, Old Bridge Cellars has grown into one of Western Australia’s most awarded independent retailers, recognised as WA Liquor Store of the Year and Fremantle Ports Business of the Year. He has spearheaded innovative initiatives such as “Blind Wine Time” and the Old Bridge Quarterly Drop, connecting customers with winemakers and new discoveries. Passionate about showcasing quality, craft and connection, Jay continues to champion the role of independent retail in supporting Western Australia’s vibrant wine, beer and spirits community.
Kirsty Potter.
Kirsty Potter has built her career in the Western Australian wine industry through roles spanning sales, marketing, and brand development. She currently works with Craft Alliance, representing a diverse portfolio of local and national producers. With a strong background in distributor relations and direct-to-consumer strategy, Kirsty is passionate about growing the profile of Western Australian wine both at home and further afield. Her enthusiasm for the industry is matched by her commitment to building community and fostering connections across all aspects of the wine trade.
Kirsty’s wine journey began in Glasgow, Scotland, working for a family-owned importer and distributor of wines from around the globe. Since then, her passion for wine has taken her around the world.
Kirsty has a MA Honours Degree from The University of Glasgow, is WSET Diploma qualified, has completed the first year of the Master of Wine and was the 2012 winner of the prestigious Negociants Working with Wine Fellowship program. Her love of wine, food, and travel remains at the heart of her career, inspiring her to champion the people, stories, and wines of Western Australia.
Trent Everitt.
Trent wears many hats – mostly wine related. He is the Sommelier at Besk (West Leederville, Perth) and in his spare time is an account manager for Vintage Fine Wines. He is also a wine educator, teaching wine classes at Besk and the Wine Education Centre (WA).
Wine is a fairly recent career change for Trent who, almost by accident, enrolled in WSET whilst living in Durham (UK) during Europe’s frost-prone 2017 vintage. Leaving there, with a WSET Level 3 certificate, he moved to Perth and worked as a Sommelier at Rockpool for a couple of years, before moving to Besk, where he has received a 3 Glass rating in the Wine List of The Year Awards for three years running. As a total devotee of the wine world, he also finds himself (in addition to his wine work) helping with the wine judging at the WA Good Food Guide Awards and happily involved, as a committee member, of Sommeliers Australia and The WA Wine Press Club.
Foni Pollitt
Award-winning sommelier, restaurateur and certified wine educator, Foni Pollitt, is behind one of Perth’s top restaurants Mayfair Lane Pub and Dining Room.
Since opening with husband Chris in 2017, the accolades have continued to roll in – ‘Best Pub Restaurant Wine List’
in Gourmet Traveller’s Wine List of the Year Awards in 2019 and 2020 with the award of Three Glasses, and featured in the Top 50 Restaurants for the Western
Australian Good Food Guide in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020. Last year Mayfair Lane took out the ‘Jury Prize’ at the World of Fine Wine Awards in London. This was a big win considering 94 venues were picked around the world, with only 18 from Australia, and one from Perth – Mayfair Lane.
Foni was awarded WA Good Food Guide ‘Sommelier of the Year’ in 2018 and is in the process of obtaining a Master of
Wine. As a WSET educator, Foni loves sharing her passion for wine with students – taking her guests on a journey and encouraging everyone to discover their own tastes and preferences.
WA Wine Press Club Patron
Tony Devitt 2025 -
Tony Devitt is a pioneer of the modern Western Australian wine industry, best known as the founding winemaker of Ashbrook Estate in Margaret River. With a career spanning more than four decades, he helped shape the region’s reputation for premium wine through his hands-on approach in the vineyard and winery. Widely respected for his craft and generosity of knowledge, Tony has played an influential role in mentoring the next generation of WA winemakers.
Dr Ken Michael AOC
2018 - 2024
Ken Michael is a respected civil engineer, academic, and public servant who served as the 30th Governor of Western Australia from 2006 to 2011. Throughout his career he has held senior leadership roles across government, business, and the community, including Chancellor of the University of Western Australia and Commissioner of Main Roads WA. Widely admired for his integrity and commitment to public service, he has made lasting contributions to education, infrastructure, and community development in Western Australia.