When Garrick Harvison was offered the job as Asia-Pacific general manager for Australia-based McWilliam’s Wines Group, he didn’t think twice.

It was the chance of a lifetime, first requiring him to establish a foothold in Hong Kong for the 140-year-old firm and, from there, to expand sales of respected labels like Evans & Tate and Mount Pleasant in 16 countries across the region.

“As a company, we are true to our roots, but saw the need to grow our business and to be on the doorstep in order to start and maintain relationships,” he says. “Everyone knows the potential in Asia by comparing average litres consumed per capita. But it’s about being able to write your own script and, even though we’re just scratching the surface, the hard work we’ve put in is paying off.”

Growing up on a hobby farm in rural north-west Sydney, Harvison learned early on the value of hard work. As one of four siblings, he took his turn looking after the family’s menagerie of geese, ducks, sheep and donkeys, and did the milk run making deliveries to the neighbours. But it was a largely carefree childhood in the tradition of the great Australian outdoors.

“You had certain responsibilities from an early age, which instilled a work ethic, but it was a great way to grow up,” he says. “My mother, who was a bookkeeper and accountant, always said you can do anything you want in life. Both my parents were very supportive, with a little bit of direction when necessary, but basically they just wanted us all to be happy.”

Unsure, though, about the best career path, Harvison embarked on a bachelor of business degree at Bathurst, but within a few months concluded it just wasn’t for him.

“Occasionally I think it would be nice to have that piece of paper, but then some of the most successful people I know didn’t finish a degree.”

Instead, following his instincts, he took off for Europe to see something of the world for a year, returning to take up a job in Sydney with Commonwealth Bank, a move endorsed by his father who had worked in the sector before going into local politics and serving as mayor.

However, still restless during his 18 months as a trainee banker, despite the good money, Harvison accepted a request to help out at weekends in the warehouse of a friend’s fast-growing wine brokerage and storage business. Quite unexpectedly, that ignited a passion for learning more about the full scope of the industry, and the realisation that this was where he wanted to be.

“I was 22 years old and suddenly it all gelled,” he says. “I saw there was a future in wine that could take you places and that I could make a career of it.”

Accordingly, he converted to a full-time role with the firm and, over the next five years, moved from basic warehouse duties to stock control, setting up an inventory system for over a million bottles, export management, and trading.

“I had a real thirst for knowledge, so I did a two-year qualification at night school, took other courses to learn about French and Italian wines, and worked in a restaurant in Mosman to train as a sommelier,” he says. “I had aspirations, and I suppose the CEO saw something in me. He became a mentor and gave me the experience and rounding that mean I can handle the many facets of the business today.”

A stint as export manager at a Hunter Valley winery taught him the technicalities of getting from vine to bottle – the soil types, seasons, bud burst, picking, production, and ageing. And the subsequent move to McWilliam’s in 2010 made sense for a couple of reasons. One was a simple desire for personal growth and a new challenge. The other was the opportunity to drive sales and build brand awareness for a company well known at home, but keen to raise its profile in overseas markets.

“I wanted to develop myself further, and being part of an operation that sells phenomenal wines at a good price point let me do that.”

Since transferring to Hong Kong four years ago, Harvison has put particular focus on leading the firm’s “charge into China” by educating new consumers, expanding the distribution network and strengthening the sales force – and that will continue.

“We have a considerable scale, with our own vineyards and wineries and 15 different brands, and that gives us a huge capacity to grow with partners in Asia,” Harvison says. “But, as a family-run business, we also take a long-term view, make sure to identify what each market needs, and produce some market-specific labels.”

Within that context, one clear objective is to get Chinese consumers to see a glass of wine as part of everyday life, not something elitist. Conveying that message involves trade shows, tastings, extensive staff training, promoting “brand Australia”, and breaking down a few barriers, but Harvison has no complaints.

“I feel very lucky to have this position. I travel the world, meet some amazing people, and definitely feel the job is what I was meant to do,” he says. “It’s about being head down, working hard, using emotional intelligence, not just book smarts, and letting our products and results speak for themselves.”

With three children under the age of 11, family obviously comes first when not working, but Harvison has plans to pursue one pressing ambition.

“The immediate goal is to ensure the kids are set up and have a well-rounded international experience,” he says. “But I also want to become more fluent in Putonghua. I’ve been travelling to China for over 10 years, so it’s important to make that effort.”

CELLAR’S TALK

Garrick Harvison’s advice for a fruitful, satisfying career

Cast off your shackles  When choosing a career, aim to do something you love and are passionate about. Look for mentors who can offer advice and guidance along the way and, in difficult times, remember that all limitations are self-imposed.

Diversify  Develop a broad-spectrum skill set to avoid being pigeonholed in any one area and regard humility as an important attribute whatever your role and responsibilities.

Communicate  The best leaders are good listeners who have faith in their people, not those who prefer to talk and just issue directives. That is something I’ve only come to realise in the last few years.

Take care of everyone  In terms of management style, I always look for a win-win situation which has the potential to bring benefits for both the company and our customers.

Home in  Make sure to strike a good balance between work commitments and family life. That can be a big challenge if your role involves travel, but I see it as essential.

This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Bring it to the table.