International Beverage reshuffles leadership as MD departs
International Beverage has shaken up its global spirits senior leadership team with UK managing director Malcolm Leask leaving the business.
Leask will depart after nearly 30 years with the company. He began his current role as managing director three years ago.
Bidding Leask farewell, International Beverages’s HR director Sam Kirk said: “Malcolm has contributed significantly to our business over the past three decades, applying his skills and commitment to developing our brands internationally. We thank him for his efforts, and he leaves our brands well positioned for the future. We wish him success in the next stage of his career.”
Last week Leask agreed to introduce collective bargaining units for parts of the production team at International Beverage’s Inver House Distillers, following discussions with trade union GMB Scotland.
International spirits leadership team
From October, a reshuffled international spirits leadership team will spearhead the company’s global growth strategy.
The team will lead on brands such as Larsen Cognac, Cardrona Distillery, Thai spirits Phraya Rum and Prakaan single malt whisky, and the company’s Scotch portfolio.
International Beverage’s Scotch whisky brands include Hankey Bannister blended whisky and single malts Old Pulteney, Balblair, Speyburn and AnCno.
The restructure will see Fiona Kennie move into the role of global marketing director, following her appointment as marketing director for the company’s Scotch portfolio last year.
She will continue to collaborate with Alan Mitchell, operations director for the Scotch business, who oversees maturation, blending and bottling facilities at International Beverage’s Airdrie base and its distilleries in Scotland.
Meanwhile at New Zealand’s Cardrona Distillery, founder and managing director Desiree Reid will transition to global sales director before the end of 2025. Chief financial officer Henry Caulton will then replace Desiree Reid as acting managing director.
At Larsen Cognac in France, Emmanuel Dokhelar will continue as managing director, following his appointment in April 2024.
The team will report to the chief of spirits international, who is based in Thailand.
Last week, International Beverage named Sarah Burgess its master of whisky creation. Burgess was previously whisky maker for English producer The Lakes Distillery and lead whisky maker for Edrington-owned The Macallan.
Kirk added: “We are also pleased to have finalised our international spirits senior leadership team of experienced professionals leading our global operations.
“With Sarah Burgess recently appointed as master of whisky creation and nearly 80 new recruits joining in Scotland and worldwide during 2025, we continue to invest in people as we prepare for future developments.”
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