International Beverage boosts management team with two senior appointments

New Head of Supply Chain and Head of Finance & Risk confirmed

International Beverage has announced the arrival of two new senior executives to the business this week, with both set to take up strategic roles in the global spirits producer’s management team during a period of ambitious growth.

Fiona Meldrum joins as Head of Supply Chain

Fiona brings over 15 years’ experience in supply chain leadership and logistics to the role. After studying Business Management at Edinburgh Napier University, she began her career at The Heineken Company, spending eight years working across a number of global export, customer service and logistics projects, latterly as Head of Export – Customer & Logistics.

She then moved to the beer and cider specialists C&C Group where she spent three years managing supply chain planning across the company’s network of own brand and contract products as Head of Planning. After a brief tenure at Hunter Boot Ltd as Global Logistics Manager, Fiona moved to Chivas Brothers as Head of Planning, where she led a team of 30 people and helped to build the company’s supply chain transformation agenda, incorporating bottling and material planning.

Laura Millar joins as Head of Finance and Risk

Laura qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte, where she went on to spend six years working in Audit across the company’s portfolio of clients, gaining experience in a diverse range of different industries.

In 2010 she joined the Japanese owned global medical device manufacturer Terumo Aortic – part of the Terumo Group which is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Here she has spent the past 13 years working from the company’s UK base in Renfrewshire, during a time when the division’s annual global turnover has grown from c.£70m to over £200m. Having started as Financial Accounting Manager, she progressed through the business to Financial Controller, Head of Finance & Compliance and latterly to Global VP of Finance Control & Compliance.

Both Fiona and Laura will be based at the company’s Airdrie headquarters. IBHL Managing Director Malcolm Leask welcomed the years of experience and expertise that both will bring to the company’s growth agenda, commenting: 

‘International Beverage is delivering a strong performance across our portfolio of brands thanks to investment and ambitious growth plans in over 85 global markets. We still face many challenges in these markets however, and we are investing in bringing on board the very best people to help us navigate our way to success – not least in the fields of finance and supply chain management. Fiona and Laura are two exceptional leaders in their respective disciplines, and we welcome the talent and drive they bring to our growing team. Their involvement on priority projects such as our path to fully compostable and recyclable packaging, plus improving our management information processes, will be invaluable in the months ahead.’

As the spirits arm of one of the world’s top ten drinks producers ThaiBev, International Beverage is responsible for the global sales, marketing and distribution of a multi-award-winning portfolio of premium brands, including single malt Scotch whiskies Old Pulteney, Balblair, anCnoc and Speyburn; the blended Scotch Hankey Bannister. 

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL BEVERAGE

International Beverage is one of the drinks industry’s most dynamic global businesses. Established in 2006 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thaibev, the company operates as its international business arm, specialising in the development of premium local spirits for the global market. Its success is built on a strong understanding of local cultures and markets within a worldwide business network. Based in Hong Kong with regional offices in Singapore, Malaysia, the USA and UK, the company is responsible for the sales, marketing and distribution of a portfolio of premium brands in over 85 markets. These brands are built on character, craftsmanship and quality, led by a range of award-winning Scotch whiskies and an array of vibrant spirits.