Sommeliers Australia
2021 National Annual General Meeting
Monday 20 September 2021, 11am-12pm AEST
Held online via Zoom – registration is required
In consideration of the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 restrictions and border closures, the 2021 AGM and will be conducted online (via Zoom). All Sommeliers Australia members are invited to actively participate in the meeting which is scheduled for Monday 20 September from 11am-12pm AEST.
As a member of Sommeliers Australia, the AGM is your opportunity to have a say in how Sommeliers Australia will be structured for 2021/2022.
In addition to reviewing the association’s business from the previous 2020/2021 financial year, a new National Executive Committee will be elected during the AGM, so it is important that as many members as possible attend.
Both current Professional and Enthusiast members (whose membership is current for the 2021/2022 period) are encouraged to attend and vote at the AGM. However only Professional members have the right to appoint a Proxy to vote on their behalf.
To confirm whether your membership is in fact current, please login to sommeliers.com.au to check your membership status, or contact [email protected] for assistance.
If your membership is not current and you would like to participate and vote in the AGM, you have until 5pm, Thursday 16 September to renew or purchase a membership via sommeliers.com.au.
** AGM attendance – registration is required **
All current Sommeliers Australia members intending to participate in the AGM are required to register their attendance by 5pm, Thursday 16 September, so that all members eligible to vote can be confirmed.
Please email your registration to [email protected], including your name and the level of membership you currently hold.
2021 AGM Agenda
The 2021 AGM agenda will include business from the 2020/2021 financial year and will outline major plans for 2021 and beyond. A copy of the agenda is available to download below.
Members attending the AGM are welcome to ask questions regarding the business outlined in the agenda during the meeting, via the Zoom ‘chat’ function.
Election of the National Executive Committee for 2021/2022
Like the State Event Committees, Sommeliers Australia’s National Executive Committee is comprised of a group of committed volunteers whose role is to manage the association at the National level.
Members of the NEC are nominated from current State Event Committees. All NEC nominees must be able to support Sommeliers Australia activities within their own state, in addition to managing the future vision of the association and working on national projects, such as the Best Sommelier of Australia competition and Education Scholarship.
During the 2021 AGM a new National Executive Committee (who will manage the association until the next AGM) will be elected from the nominated State Event Committee members.
Current candidates for the 2021/2022 National Executive Committee are:
| Candidate name | current role in NEC |
| Sarah Andrew (VIC) | Co-President |
| Chris Crawford (VIC) | Co-President |
| Louella Matthews (NSW) | Vice-President |
| Greg Richardson (NSW) | Treasurer |
| Ben Moechtar (NSW) | NEC Member |
| David Murphy (NSW) | NEC Member |
| Liam O’Brien (VIC) | NEC Member |
| Wiremu Andrews (VIC) | new nomination – NEC Member |
| Bridget Raffal (NSW) | new nomination – NEC Member |
| Marcell Kustos (SA) | new nomination – NEC Member |
Voting for candidates
The election of National Executive Committee members will be conducted anonymously via the Zoom ‘Polling’ function, whereby all eligible AGM attendees will be asked to vote online for each of the abovementioned candidates.
All candidates will be voted on, and where they receive a majority of votes, that candidate will become a member of the National Executive Committee.
Office Bearer roles (President/Co-President, Vice President, Treasurer) will be decided by the NEC members during the first meeting of the National Executive Committee.
Please note: Only Professional members have the right to appoint a Proxy to vote on their behalf, if they are unable to attend the AGM. A Proxy form is available for download below. Completed proxy forms must be received by Executive Officer/Public Officer Imbi Knappstein via [email protected], no later than 5pm, Thursday 16 September.
