committee

committee

WDSC – Committee who is who

  • Advisory group
  • Scottish Section Chair – Stuart Watts
  • IBD Liaison – Douglas Murray
  • Technical Committee
  • Calum Holmes – ICBD
  • Paulina Okoro – SWRI
  • Yushi Noguchi – Suntory
  • Hajime Sato – Suntory
  • Scott Davies – Briggs
  • David Jenkins – ICBD
  • Struan Reid – Lallemand
  • Kirsty Black – Arbikie
  • Gillian MacDonald – Glenmorangie
  • Stuart Maxwell – Willian Grant & Sons
  • Matt Strickland – Dram Science

Main Committee

 

Advisory Group

  • Scottish Section Chair – Stuart Watts
  • IBD Liaison – Douglas Murray
 

Technical Committee

  • Calum Holmes – ICBD
  • Paulina Okoro – SWRI
  • Yushi Noguchi – Suntory
  • Hajime Sato – Suntory
  • Scott Davies – Briggs
  • David Jenkins – ICBD
  • Struan Reid – Lallemand
  • Kirsty Black – Arbikie
  • Gillian MacDonald – Glenmorangie
  • Stuart Maxwell – Willian Grant & Sons
  • Matt Strickland – Dram Science

Jane Millar

Distilleries R&D and technical Manager 
William Grant & Sons Ltd

Jane gained an MCS in Chemistry at the University of Strathclyde and after a brief time in petrochemicals moved into the brewing and distilling industry.     ​

Since joining William Grant and Sons Jane has worked in a variety of technical and project roles.  She now heads up Global R&D, Technical Development and Liquid Quality teams across all distilling sites.  She drives the innovation agenda for distilleries and is responsible for project work ranging from raw materials and processing, maturation, distillery design, renewable energy projects and novel processes from bench scale to plant scale.  She thrives on evaluating distillery processes and energy optimisation across spirit categories.  Acting as custodian to liquid quality, she also leads the operation of the laboratories across the company portfolio of products.  ​

Thrilled at the opportunity to Chair the 2023 WDSC conference, Jane has been in the IBD Scottish Section committee and WDSC Technical committee and is the chair of the product protection group on behalf of the Scotch Whisky Research Industry.

David Hannah

Brewing & Distilling Malt Sales Manager – Scotland
Muntons

David joined the brewing and distilling industry in 2016 with Muntons Malt as Craft Brewing Sales Manager. In 2018, David went on to manage key brewing and distilling accounts for Muntons for the whole Northern UK region whilst completing the General Certificate in Malting through the Institute of Brewing and Distilling the same year. During his career with Muntons, David has been involved with managing the steady growth of malt sales within the distilling sector throughout Scotland and overseas.

David currently manages all brewing and distilling malt sales for Scotland and Northern England for Muntons Malt, whilst assisting their USA distilling division.

David has been an active member of the IBD Scottish section since 2016 and joined the committee in 2019. He currently sits as Vice-Chairman of the Scottish Section.

Robin Mitchell

Robin Mitchell

Integration and Laboratories Manager
Diageo

Robin has an undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot Watt University.​

Robin joined the industry with Fuller, Smith and Turner in London in 2000 before moving to Diageo at the Guinness Park Royal Brewery in 2003. Since then Robin has worked in a variety of roles in liquid, process, pack and brand development right across Diageo’s wide portfolio and many markets. Highlights include developing new product categories, managing innovation and renovation, developing distillery innovation programs, introducing carbon and water reduction techniques, expanding bottling facilities, managing R&D and technical problem solving around the world.​

Currently, Robin manages the central laboratory function for Diageo Global Technical driving quality through scientific measurement and insight.​

Robin is an active member of the IBD Scottish Section and has assisted with organization of WDSC 2017 and 2021.

David Jenkins

Assistant Professor
International Centre for Brewing & Distilling
Heriot Watt University

Dr David Jenkins is an Assistant Professor at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling in Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He contributes to core teaching on yeast, fermentations, filtration, and packaging. ​

​David has previously worked at the University of Nottingham where he was a Barry Axcell Research Fellow. He has also worked in Group Technical for SABMiller plc., as a brewing scientist. ​

​His research interests are focused on the influence of yeast on various quality parameters in beer. Since working in Scotland, he has also taken an interest in how yeast and other processing steps may influence the quality of whisky and other spirits. 

Stuart Maxwell

Maturation Leader
William Grant & Sons

Stuart Maxwell graduated with an MChem in Pure & Applied Chemistry from the University of Strathclyde in 2013. He has been working at William Grant & Sons for 9 years working primarily across technical development and spirit supply. Currently, he is working in the Maturation Leader role and is a member of the SWRI Maturation Technical Liaison Group. In 2017, he completed the IBD Diploma in Distilling, achieving the Briggs of Burton award for Module 3

Struan Reid

Distilleries R&D and technical Manager 
William Grant & Sons Ltd

Struan Reid holds a master’s degree in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD from Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD).

During his PhD, Struan investigated the link between malt whisky fermentation parameters and new-make spirit quality and characteristics in collaboration with The Glenmorangie Company. He has also held a role as head of distilling for a craft producer in the U.K.

Currently, Struan manages the research and development team as part of Lallemand’s Biofuels and Distilled Spirits division. The lab investigates new innovations within the distilled spirits industry across a wide variety of microbial solutions including yeast, bacteria, enzymes and nutrients.

KIRSTY BLACK

Distillery Manager
Arbikie Distilling Ltd

Kirsty Black, is both Manager and Distiller at Arbikie Highland Estate.  She has been there since the distillery conception in 2014, overseeing all aspects of its conversion from a disused cattle shed to a multi award-winning distillery producing vodka, gin and whisky. 

Following obtaining a BSc in Plant Science, a PG Dipl. in Forensic Science and nearly 10 years working as an engineer in the Medical Device Industry the time had come to learn about alcohol. She graduated in Brewing & Distilling at Heriot-Watt University obtaining an MSc with distinction, The Watt Club Postgraduate Medal for best in school and the Brewers Company Prize for best in class.  She has since gone on to obtain her PhD from Abertay University and The James Hutton Institute. During her PhD, Kirsty focused on sustainability in the drinks industry, successfully demonstrating the potential of using legumes (peas and beans) in intercropping systems and the conversion of the resulting crops into beverage grade alcohol.

In conjunction with working at Arbikie Distillery she sits on the Awards Committee and Board of Examiner for the Institute of Brewing & Distilling.

Yushi Noguchi

Senior General Manager
Whisky Blending & Planning Dept.
Suntory Spirits Limited

Yushi Noguchi has a master’s degree in applied chemistry from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and a PhD from Heriot-Watt University’s International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD).

Yushi joined Suntory as a researcher in 2000 and has mainly worked for whisky R&D and product development for more than 20 years. He was sent to Scotland to conduct whisky-related research at Heriot-Watt University in 2007. After 2 years of research of Heriot-Watt, he worked at the subsidiary of Suntory, Morrison Bowmore Distillers at Glasgow. He returned to Japan in 2011 and resumed his role as a whisky researcher. In 2015, he was sent to Scotland again as Whisky Quality Projects Manager of Beam Suntory UK at Glasgow. In 2016, he returned to Japan as whisky R&D manager.

Currently, Yushi manages the blender team and R&D team of Whisky Blending & Planning Department as a Senior General Manager.

Hajime Sato

General Manager
Whisky Blending & Planning Dept.
Suntory Spirits Limited

Hajime Sato has a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Kyoto University and a PhD in Agriculture from Kobe University.

Hajime Joined Suntory as an engineer & researcher in 2006, and has worked for process development of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
From 2009 his role was focused on whisky, and he was sent to Scotland to conduct whisky-related research at Heriot-Watt University and SWRI in 2013.
After 2 years of research in Scotland, he returned to Japan in 2015 and resumed his role as an engineer & researcher in whisky production.
In 2021, he was sent to Scotland again as an Senior Director MONOZUKURI development of Beam Suntory UK in Glasgow, which brings him here.

Paulina Okoro

Raw Materials Research Scientist 
Scotch Whisky Research Institute

Paulina has a master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriott-Watt University and a PhD in Molecular Plant Science form Edinburgh University. Paulina’s project focused on grain skinning in malting barley and the influence husk adhesion plays in grain and malt quality.

After completing her PhD Paulina joined Scotch Whisky Reasearch Institute in the department of Raw Materials. Her role involves working on both cereal and yeast related projects. Her most current work involves expanding the application of flow cytometry in microbial assessments throughout the distilling process.