Matthew Sykes has had the unique opportunity to sip and sell super premium spirits brands for over 17 years. Matthew started his career at Diageo, and held a number of key marketing and sales roles at Bacardi-Martini before joining Patrón in 2014. In 2018, Patrón was acquired by Bacardi-Martini for a record breaking $5.2bn, and Matthew rejoined the Bacardi-Martini group, to continue to oversee the extraordinary growth of Patrón internationally.
At Patrón, Matthew’s approach to marketing has succeeded in expanding various key brand platforms, including Día de Muertos and Margarita Moments, to wider global audiences and has established the brand’s first ever bartender competition. The Perfectionists Cocktail Competition has grown exponentially under Matthew’s leadership and is now a truly global competition embraced by more than 40 different counties. It continues to support aspiring bartenders across six continents and has become one of the most esteemed bartender competitions in the industry.