Caroline Wood, Fever-Tree’s Head of Marketing ANZ, has had a long career in the drinks industry. While living in Sweden, she made the leap from agency to in-house, working for Pernod Ricard. The role offered early exposure to global brand work and cross-market collaboration.
More than a decade ago, she relocated to Australia and quickly re-entered the industry. Roles across beer, wine and now mixers have given her a cross-category perspective, as well as experience in both large, highly structured organisations and more entrepreneurial, founder-led businesses.
Building a business in a changing market
Caroline joined Fever-Tree in Australia in 2019 at a time when the brand was still establishing its local footprint. The role initially involved working within a very small team, navigating distributor relationships and, not long after, the disruption of the pandemic. Over time, the Australian operation transitioned to a standalone subsidiary with its own local team across sales, marketing and operations.
“Every year in this role has been different,” she says. “There are so many things you don’t realise you have to do when you’re building a business.” The breadth of that experience has been one of the most rewarding aspects of the role, offering visibility across multiple functions rather than a narrow marketing remit. She describes Fever-Tree locally as occupying a unique space: an established global brand that still feels like a start-up in the market.
Throughout her career, professional networks have played a significant role in opening doors and shaping opportunities. “So many jobs have come through people who’ve thought of me for a role,” she says. In a relatively small and interconnected industry, those relationships often continue across companies and markets. That continuity, she notes, is one of the sector’s defining characteristics, particularly in Australia where collaboration across suppliers, distributors and partners is essential.
That collaborative mindset also informs how Fever-Tree approaches partnerships. Supporting local producers, working across categories and finding ways to contribute to broader industry initiatives all form part of that approach. For Caroline, the emphasis is on maintaining strong relationships and supporting the wider ecosystem. “The more people support each other, the better it is,” she says.
A personal lens on International Women’s Day
Caroline is candid about the structural challenges women continue to face at work. “We are the primary caregivers. School calls us first. And we still have to do an equal job, if not a bigger job, to get recognition,” she says. While progress has been made, she sees ongoing advocacy and visibility as critical. “Initiatives like International Women’s Day are so important.”
Within Fever-Tree, she points to a combination of local initiatives and global programs aimed at supporting gender equity and creating space for conversation. She acknowledges that change can be gradual and that advocacy often happens in stages, but believes sustained effort is key to long-term improvement.
Resilience, risk and the next generation
Across her career, Caroline has learned the value of resilience and the importance of stepping outside comfortable roles. “Building resilience is so important,” she says. “Taking risks matters. When opportunities come up, you need to explore them and sometimes take the leap.” That mindset has shaped many of her career decisions and informs how she encourages others to approach their own paths.
She also makes a point of supporting colleagues and peers, particularly those navigating career transitions in a challenging market. Taking time to meet with people, share contacts and offer perspective is, in her view, part of contributing to a stronger industry overall.
Ultimately, it is the combination of people, pace and possibility that has kept her in the sector. “The reason I’m still in this industry is because it’s such fun,” she says. The connections built across companies and over time remain one of its greatest strengths. For Caroline, those relationships – and the willingness to take risks – continue to shape both her own career and the example she hopes to set for the next generation.
Fever-Tree is a Platinum Partner of the Drinks Association.