CHIVAS BROTHERS LAUNCHES NEW BURSARY TO MAXIMISE EMPLOYEES’ POTENTIAL

A new bursary scheme has been launched by Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky business of Pernod Ricard, designed to give employees the opportunity to take their talents to the next level via further education or vocational training.

The Chivas Brothers Bursary has been launched by joining forces with the Scottish International Education Trust (SIET), a body which provides talented men and women with grants to complete further study, helping them to fulfil their aspirations. The bursary will make it easier for employees and their families to apply for support from the SIET, with up to £5,000 a year on offer over three years.

The bursary is open to the 1,600 employees of Chivas Brothers spread throughout the country at 32 sites in Orkney, Speyside, Central Scotland, Ayrshire, London and Plymouth, as well as direct family members.

Anthony Schofield, Public Affairs Director at Chivas Brothers commented: “The Chivas Brothers Bursary is a truly exciting initiative which we hope will help and inspire employees, or a member of their family, to pursue further education and open up future opportunities.

“At Chivas Brothers we are connected to so many Scottish communities through our employees; this is just one way for us to support and nurture those that live and work in these communities.”

Michael Ewart, Director of SIET, said: “Chivas Brothers’ gift to SIET enables us to make many more awards to talented young Scots over the three years of our relationship. I am pleased that Chivas Brothers employees and their families will also have the opportunity to benefit from the Bursary scheme.”

Chivas Brothers previously donated £100,000 to the SIET, which was set up in 1971 by celebrated Scots Sir Sean Connery and Sir Jackie Stewart, who both remain Trustees.

The impact of the donation to SIET has been wide-ranging and remarkable:

• Georgia Murray, a lecturer at the University of Dundee, has been given the chance to take part in an Arctic Circle Residency, working with climate change researchers to create poignant landscape paintings of the remote locale
• Kelly Provan of Kilmacolm is one step closer to realising her ambition of working for the United Nations, through funding which has supported her Masters in International Relations
• Yvonne Laird, a champion triathlete originally from Denny, has secured funding to complete her thesis, which makes up the final phase of her PhD on “Physical Activity in Girls”
• Mezzo-soprano Fiona Joice has been supported in her move from Glasgow to the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she is pursuing a Masters in Performance

NOTES

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. Both Sir Sean and Sir Jackie remain Trustees and take an active interest in the Trust’s work. 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