Students selected for first Chivas Brothers development bursary
Three students have been awarded a total of £5,000 in funding towards further and higher education as part of a new national bursary scheme from Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard.
Launched earlier this year, the Chivas Brothers Bursary has been developed to encourage further study and training amongst the company’s 1,600 employees in Scotland and England, as well as their families. Announced today, the successful recipients of the 2016 bursary are Laura Caban, an aspiring actor from Glasgow, Adam Donnelly, an aircraft engineering student from Paisley, and Mia Forbes, a classicist from Surrey.
Laura, whose grandfather works in engineering at Chivas Brothers’ Strathclyde distillery, has been awarded £2,000 towards a two-year BA Acting for Stage & Screen course in Edinburgh – delivered jointly by Edinburgh Napier and Queen Margaret universities. Adam, whose mother is a payroll analyst for Chivas Brothers in Paisley, has received a £1,000 grant to help cover the costs of studying Aircraft Engineering at Ayrshire College. Mia, whose father works in Chivas Brothers’ Hammersmith office, will be putting her £2,000 of funding towards the cost of an undergraduate degree in Classics at the University of Cambridge.
Anthony Schofield, Public Affairs Director at Chivas Brothers, says: “On behalf of everyone here at Chivas Brothers, I’d like to congratulate Laura, Adam and Mia on their bursary success. The standard of entries for the scheme’s opening year have set the bar incredibly high, which has served to make the final recipients’ achievement even more impressive. All three showed real drive and passion for their subjects in their applications, and we couldn’t be more proud to be supporting them as they take the next step in their studies.”
Introduced for the first time this year, the Chivas Brothers Bursary has been developed in partnership with the Scottish International Education Trust (SIET). The SIET was set up in 1971 to help talented men and women fulfil their personal and professional goals by providing them with grants to complete further study. The launch of the new bursary scheme makes it easier for employees and their families to apply for support from the SIET, with up to £5,000 a year on offer over the next three years.
The scheme’s introduction follows a £100,000 donation by Chivas Brothers to the SIET last year, and complements an ongoing employee development programme that has seen the company invest in professional training for its staff. Quality Analyst Stephen O’Neill, for example, has been able to take the next step in his career by studying for a Level 2 course in Packaging Technology, supported by the Chivas Brothers Employee Development team.
Anthony Schofield continues: “After seeing such compelling results with our internal staff development programme, we launched the Chivas Brothers Bursary to further engage and inspire our people, and to give back to the communities where we work. For us, this means continuing to foster a culture of empowerment, encouraging employees and their families to realise their ambitions and reach their full potential. We hope the bursary goes some way to doing just that for this year’s three recipients, and that it will continue to do so for the next two years of the scheme – and beyond.”
Chivas Brothers counts some of the world’s leading whisky and gin brands as part of its portfolio – including Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute and Beefeater gin. It has opened the new bursary scheme to employees at all of its 32 sites, which span Orkney, Speyside, Central Scotland, Ayrshire, London and Plymouth.
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About Chivas Brothers
Chivas Brothers is the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, the world’s no.2 in wines and spirits. Chivas Brothers’ award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered Scotch whisky brands including Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky and the No.1 Scotch whisky in China; Ballantine’s, Europe’s No.1 Scotch whisky; The Glenlivet, the single malt whisky that set the standard; and Royal Salute, the world’s only exclusively prestige Scotch whisky range. The portfolio also includes two of the world’s leading English gins – Beefeater, the world’s most awarded premium gin, and Plymouth gin – plus a selection of highly acclaimed single malt whiskies, including Aberlour, Longmorn, Scapa, Strathisla and Tormore. The range is completed by a collection of blended Scotch whiskies operating in many of the world’s key whisky markets which includes 100 Pipers, Clan Campbell, Something Special and Passport Scotch.
www.chivasspirit.com
@ChivasNewsRoom
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the world’s n°2 in wines and spirits with consolidated Sales of € 8,558 million in 2014/15. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has undergone sustained development, based on both organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard holds one of the most prestigious brand portfolios in the sector: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier- Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, Graffigna and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard employs a workforce of approximately 18,000 people and operates through a decentralised organisation, with 6 “Brand Companies” and 85 “Market Companies” established in each key market. Pernod Ricard is strongly committed to a sustainable development policy and encourages responsible consumption. Pernod Ricard’s strategy and ambition are based on 3 key values that guide its expansion: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust and a strong sense of ethics.
Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.
About the Scottish International Education Trust
The Scottish International Education Trust (SIET) was set up by Sir Sean Connery and Sir Jackie Stewart in 1971. Sir Sean donated his $1m fee for the film “Diamonds are Forever” – at the time the largest fee ever commanded by an actor for a single film. SIET’s principal aim is to give awards to mainly young Scots who have shown particular promise and who need help to take their education or professional training further – usually at post-graduate or equivalent level.
www.scotinted.org.uk
