Tom Turner is a wine enthusiast and the founder of Turner Capital Group, a private equity investment company focused exclusively on vineyards and wineries.
Tom is uniquely positioned to understand what is required to successfully develop new solutions for vineyards. His experience in investment banking, as well as his love of wine, offers an alternative approach to tapping into funding to transform the wine industry. His vision is to create a portfolio of vineyards across the world with a premium hospitality and leisure offering, focusing on untapped wine regions while adopting a disruptive marketing model.
Why did you start Turner Capital Group?
Having visited several vineyards in South East England in early 2022, it became apparent to me that vineyards face various commercial challenges. They lack access to funding for sustainable business improvements to support growth, while their business model is heavily reliant on cellar-door wine sales. Their customer experience has the potential for refinement, with only a handful of vineyards in the UK offering a complete restaurant and hotel experience. Sales strategies are typically cellar-door focused, with e-commerce and subscription models only contributing a fraction toward wine sales. More importantly, most consumers are unaware of English wine and its quality. With so many value levers available to transform the vineyard business model, now is a perfect opportunity to disrupt this fast-growing market.
Tell us about your experience prior to launching your business.
My background is in finance, having studied a BSc (Hons) in Economics & Finance at the University of York. After graduating, I went on to work in Corporate Finance within Investment Banking in London. I was quickly introduced to M&A deal processes, gaining exposure to international cross-border transactions in the renewable energy sector. Financial modeling and valuation techniques are useful tools for identifying investment opportunities and understanding the financial performance of businesses, regardless of the sector. Separately, I hold a WSET Level 2 Award in Wines, which has taught me to systematically describe wine and understand the various factors influencing the style and quality of wines.
What is your vision for Turner Capital Group?
My vision is to create the leading global private equity company focused on vineyard and winery transactions while driving transformative growth in the wine industry. By establishing world-class wine brands and oenotourism venues, we will look to roll out a subscription model allowing customers to access sites, enjoy monthly wine allocations, and further their wine knowledge with expert online courses. Our first step lies in the UK market, and our goal is to branch into untapped European wine regions followed by international expansion.
What do you do outside of work?
Beyond wine tasting, I am passionate about gym and exercise, and I regularly work out to keep in shape. I am an avid football and rugby fan, and I try to keep up with the Premier League and Premiership Rugby as much as possible. I have a long-standing interest in Greek mythology and love to revisit these stories every now and then. When I make time to unwind, I find myself watching House of the Dragon or listening to podcasts such as The Diary of a CEO and The Joe Rogan Experience. I relish the opportunity to travel abroad and learn more about new cultures, which mostly involves trying a lot of new food and wine! Most importantly, I value time spent with my family, fiancée, and friends outside of work.
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