Scott Conchar, general manager of Jebsen Wine & Spirits Hong Kong, shares his aspirations for the established family business distributor with Rebecca Lo.
Scott Conchar did not mince words when stating his goal for Jebsen Wine & Spirits: “I want us to be the number one independent spirits distributor in Hong Kong by the end of 2026.”
Lofty ambitions indeed considering that the beverage industry veteran began serving as the company’s general manager in January 2026 after relocating to Hong Kong from Sydney.
“This is the first time that I am formally living in Hong Kong though I have been many times,” Conchar admitted, settling into his chair within the boardroom of Jebsen’s headquarters in the heart of Causeway Bay. “The city has a real soul with plenty of opportunities.”
Industry expertise
Originally from Edinburgh, his decade-long stint as owner and operator of a string of successful clubs and bars sparked his passion for premium spirits. After emigrating to Australia in 2006, Conchar worked for 14 years with Moët Hennessy in different capacities including business development and sales across the Asia-Pacific region.
“I have a deep understanding of the challenges that Jebsen customers face because I used to be one,” he explained. “From a corporate perspective, I understand the process from creation to marketing and sales: both ends of the supply chain.”
Conchar was approached by Frederic Noyere, managing director of Jebsen Beverage, to lead its wine and spirits in 2025; the two met when they both worked for Moët Hennessy. Jebsen Beverage also includes Jebsen Beer, the owner of Hong Kong market share leader Blue Girl Beer, and Jebsen Wellness Beverages. In early May, Noyere announced that he will part ways in June 2026 after five years with Jebsen.
Battling wine’s global decline
“Jebsen has a very established footprint in Hong Kong as a wine merchant,” Conchar said. “The challenge that we face is the global decline of the wine category, further amplified in Hong Kong by a significant shift of visitors over the past decade from international travellers to mainland Chinese visitors.
“This evolving visitor profile has different consumption preferences, with a stronger bias towards spirits over wine. Additionally, as more Hong Kong residents travel across the border into mainland China on weekends and holidays, the pressure on local wine consumption becomes even more pronounced.”
Jebsen has been mitigating these trends by simultaneously rationalising its wine portfolio and strengthening its spirits offerings. As it redefined priorities to the company’s core products under Suntory, Campari and William Grant & Sons, it maintained a focused premium wine selection.
For example, brands including Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Hendrick’s and Monkey Shoulder under William Grant & Sons have been introduced to rebalance their positioning and capture growth in faster-expanding spirits categories.
‘Knowing our ABCs’
To streamline operations and prioritise resources, Conchar adopted a back to basics strategy in February 2026 dubbed ‘knowing our ABCs’. He set clear pillars for sales and marketing teams to encourage active distribution and accelerate engagement. By emphasising nuanced transactions that explore how consumers buy beverage products, teams could tap into understanding how to create desire.
“It is also about the balance between mental and physical availability of a product,” Conchar noted. “Such as having stock in the right place at the right time – there is no point in loading up a product if no one has yet heard of the brand.
“With the introduction of the ABCs framework, we now have guidance. Feedback so far has been very positive – it has brought greater clarity across the business while team-specific strategic pillars align to strengthen overall performance. Together, they create meaningful value for our customers, principals, and ultimately for Jebsen Wines & Spirits.”
Short and long term goals
To facilitate closer collaborations with Jebsen’s leading customers, a joint business planning programme will be piloted later this year to deepen partnerships while driving mutual growth. “Its overarching objective is to establish both short and long term goals that are closely aligned with the strategic priorities of both businesses,” explained Conchar.
“Another challenge since I joined has been managing competing priorities whilst not always having the depth of data needed to fully analyse current performance and, crucially, to shape future strategy.”
To address this, the third quarter will see the launch of SPM, Jebsen Beverages’ cloud-based business planning and performance management platform. The investment will provide the company more timely market insights and promote decision-making driven by data.
One family’s entrepreneurial spirit
Jebsen Wine & Spirits is part of Jebsen Group, founded in 1895 by Danish cousins Jacob Jebsen and Heinrich Jessen in Hong Kong. To this day, it remains a family business with third generation descendent Hans Michael Jebsen currently serving as its chair. Alongside beverages, the group’s other divisions include motors, consumer products and services, and investment.
“The opportunity to engage daily with Jebsen Group exco members fosters a strong culture that encourages an agile and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Conchar. “The family business emphasises long term partnerships, giving the team confidence to drive sustainable growth rather than focus purely on short term transactions to hit the numbers. I genuinely believe these attributes give Jebsen Wines & Spirits a strong competitive advantage.”
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