The Association operates with a committee and a board. The Membership Committee comprises members who make decisions, which are then approved by the Advisory Board. The Advisory Board provides guidance to the Membership Committee and ensures fair decision-making. Both the Advisory Board and the Membership Committee can offer advice to cask whisky customers, including both consumers and trade.
The Membership Committee
Keith Rennie has extensive experience in international business operations, manufacturing, project management and business development, having grown businesses from start up to sales growth within the international market, over a 30-year period. He worked within a range of senior roles, in a variety of different industries, from agriculture to manufacturing, providing a diverse and broad knowledge base. Founding director of The Auchtermuchty Bond, and currently managing all Scotch Whisky International’s UK Operations.
cask trade: Simon Aron
Managing Director Cask Trade
An experienced entrepreneurial angel and investor, Simon has helped get tech start-ups, medical technology, and agricultural ventures around the world off the ground. He is highly experienced in financial modelling, fund management and building companies.
FRUITFUL SPRITS: SAUL KELLY
Managing Director Fruitful Spirits
Saul Kelly began as an Mathematics academic before transitioning into the role of Chief Commercial Officer for a group of not-for-profit organisations. He insured the longevity and sustainability of these charities, making a tangible difference in the lives of those they served. His unwavering passion for whisky led him to establish Fruitful Spirits, which combines his love for fine spirits with his extensive experience in procurement and negotiations across diverse industries. Saul has a comprehensive understanding of the whisky market. He is focused on making whisky cask ownership accessible to a broader audience, while maintaining the highest standards of quality, integrity and value.
Spiritfilled: Russell Spratley
Director Spiritfilled
A firm lover of whisky, Russell Spratley has spent many years working in the industry. He saw a need for a company that provided a complete end-to-end solution for clients to immerse themselves in. With this in mind, and seeing the potential of the cask industry, Spiritfilled was born. Alongside the cask business Spiritfilled has created the Mythical Beasts independent bottling, offering a solid exit option for clients, but also allowing Spiritfilled to showcase the deep knowledge they have in selecting the right casks, the right whisky, and the optimum time to bottle.
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DS Tayman: Danny Saltman
Director of Malts DS Tayman
With a career spanning over 20 years entirely devoted to luxury alcohol. Danny started his career selling wine before moving to run a boutique Wine and Whisky shop in London. It was here where his love for Whisky truly flourished, with a section dedicated to independent bottlers. Thanks to his extensive experience in the market, he has been asked to educate on both Whisky and Wine around the world. This knowledge and a desire to push and realise his personal ambitions saw him join Saul to co-found The Dalkeith Brokerage & DS Tayman.
Dalkeith Brokerage: Saul Taylor
Director Dalkeith Brokerage
With a history in the Trading and Investment Management space for nine years at the Bank of New York/ConvergeX, Saul traded on behalf of some of the largest international asset managers. From there he joined Visium Asset Management, with responsibility for European trading.. Having participated in Trading and Investment Management conferences globally and commentated on Equity Markets for Bloomberg, Saul is well-known within the Trading community.
With a passion for Whisky, he started trading privately before joining Danny Saltman to co-found the Dalkeith Brokerage & DS Tayman.
The Advisory Board
COLIN HAMPDEN-WHITE
TV Presenter and whisky journalist
Colin Hampden-White is a presenter on The Three Drinkers TV series on Amazon Prime, a Keeper of the Quaich and liveryman of the worshipful company of distillers. After starting his career at The Scotsman, he has worked at The Times and FT before becoming the founding editor of Whisky Quarterly. In his spare time, Hampden-White is an award-winning fine art photographer. He is represented by the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and has exhibited all over the world including the National Portrait Gallery.
CHARLES MACLEAN
Author and whisky expert
Charles MacLean has been writing about Scotch whisky since 1981 and has published eighteen books on the subject. He received a formal training in ‘sensory evaluation’ in 1992. He was made a Keeper of the Quaich that year, elevated to Master in 2009, and in 2012 won the IWSC.’ ‘Outstanding Achievement Award’. In 2016 he was inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame and in 2020 won the Hurun Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to UK-China Relations’. In 2021 he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire by H.M The Queen for “His services to Scotch Whisky, UK Exports and Charity’.
HANS OFFRINGA
Author and whisky expert
Hans Offringa is a bilingual writer, photographer and publisher. He has written and translated over 40 books on whisky and holds various titles, among which Keeper of the Quaich, Kentucky Colonel and Lifetime International Ambassador of the Speyside Whisky Festival. He is Whisky Magazine’s European Contributing Editor and writes for various magazines and newspapers around the world. His books have been translated into five languages. Hans is the only Dutchman inducted into the Whisky Hall of Fame.
GEORGE FRIER
Partner Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP
George Frier is a senior Corporate Partner and Head of Food and Drink at major Scottish law firm Shepherd + Wedderburn. He has 30 years’ experience in corporate and commercial law, with extensive whisky credentials including the acquisition and sale of brands, distilleries and bulk casked stock, and excise duty issues. He successfully represented owners in a major long term dispute over bulk casked whisky ownership . S+W is also the Legal Adviser on formation of the Cask Whisky Association. Favourite Dram: too many to choose from.
PATRICIA DILLON
MD Speyside Distillers Co Ltd
Patricia Dillon has worked at Senior level for over 25 years in FMCG. Patricia Became Manging Director of Speyside Distillers Company Ltd in 2012. Patricia has led the company to achieve several business awards including a BOFTA (Board of Trade Award), Glasgow Business Awards Exporter of the year 2018, Inverness chamber of Commerce Exporter of the Year 2016 & 2019. Patricia is a Keeper of the Quaich, was on The Council of Scotch Whisky Association and In February 2023 Patricia joined Council of FDEC (Food and Drinks Export Council). Patricia is a Member of Women on Boards.
Martin Purvis
Associate Director Kelvin Cooperage
Martin has worked in the whisky industry for more than 18 years with a focus on technical and commercial supply to malt and grain whisky distilleries. He was the Global Category manager for wood and used barrels at William Grant and Sons throughout the difficult years from 2013-2018 He increasingly focussed on cask quality, supply chain, maturation loss reduction and rejuvenation of exhausted wood. He joined the fantastic team at Kelvin Cooperage in early 2021. He has an MSc in Brewing and Distilling and an MBA with a focus on luxury brands, family business and organisational culture.
GRAEME DEMpSTER
Whisky & Distillery Insurance Broker at Bruce Stevenson
Graeme, an Account Executive at Bruce Stevenson, is an experienced Chartered Commercial Insurance Broker having worked within the industry for over 20 years. He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) and holds an Advanced Diploma professional insurance qualification which demonstrates an enhanced understanding of insurance practices, both in technical subject matter and application.
With a passion for all things whisky, Graeme has developed an understanding of the unique risks associated with whisky production and maturation which has enabled Bruce Stevenson Insurance Brokers to become the ‘Broker of Choice’ to the whisky industry.
CASK WHISKY ASSOCIATION 