The Institute of Brewing & Distilling welcomes new board members

The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) has added two trustees, a deputy president and a new honorary treasurer to its board.

Members of the IBD elected Raphaël Grisoni and David Cook as trustees, Megan Sheehy as deputy president and Will Calvert as the new honorary treasurer at its 18th AGM in an effort to create a more diverse and global team equipped with the skills to meet the ever-evolving industry.

IBD members voted overwhelmingly in favour of electing Grisoni and Cook as new trustees, and Will Calvert as honorary treasurer, taking over from Nigel Fitch who has overseen the IBD’s financial responsibilities since 2016.

The changes also come with the re- election of Bhavya Mandanna as president of the IBD for her second year and Sheehy as deputy president for her first term, after holding the role temporarily. Sheehy is the general manager – classification at Grains Australia and brings expertise in malting and brewing as well as leadership experience in running charitable organisations. Grisoni, who is the newly-appointed general manager for Remy Cointreau Canada, has commercial experience in Scotch whisky and Champagne and led Mount Gay Distillery in Barbados for 14 years as the managing director. This industry experience is complemented by that of Cook, also known as an AB InBev professor of brewing science at the University of Nottingham and liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Brewers. Calvert, who is also managing director, and co-founder of Windsor & Eton Brewery, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

IBD president Bhavya Mandanna said: “This is an exciting period of change for the IBD, and it is a privilege to be a part of it. Whilst we respect and learn from our heritage and traditions, we endeavour to stay relevant in an ever-changing and competitive world. With a board bringing in strong skills, industry-wide experience at a global scale and diversity of thought we are energised to achieve industry leadership and action on our strategic ambitions. I would like to thank past trustees for their time and commitment to the IBD, and welcome new trustees to join us in the pursuit of our charitable purpose of excellence in professional education and development.”

IBD interim chief executive officer Douglas Murray added: “In an ever-changing world, the IBD board of trustees’ priority is to deliver our strategic vision of providing the gold standard in technical education to professionals in brewing, distilling and related industries. With a clear focus on delivering high-performance outcomes for both professionals and their businesses, our trustees are committed to continually elevating our high standards in education and development, while engaging and connecting professionals and organisations to share experiences and respond to global industry challenges collectively, and effectively.”