Conference Speakers

Alix, Technical Sales Representative for the UK, joined the Lallemand Brewing team in 2023. With a strong foundation in the brewing industry, Alix embarked on her production brewing career in 2017 following her graduation from the University of Warwick, where she earned a Masters in Chemistry. Over the years, she has honed her craft in various breweries, demonstrating her versatility by creating an extensive range of exceptional beers. Alix's dedication and expertise were recognised in 2019 when she obtained her Masters in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot Watt University, alongside being awarded the Allied Brewery Traders Association Prize for the best postgraduate student. In her current role as a Technical Sales Representative, Alix seamlessly combines her practical experience and academic knowledge to foster strong relationships with brewers, providing them with unrivaled technical support and guidance when utilizing Lallemand's world renowned brewing products.

Have been working in the brewing and distilling industry for more than 30 years.
Started working in the brewing industry when I was doing my degree with a 6-month placement at Scottish & Newcastle’s Technical Centre.

Have worked for a number of companies including Isle of Man Breweries, Scottish & Newcastle, Heineken UK, Diageo, Glenmorangie and Innis & Gunn.
Current role is Brewing & Quality Leader at Innis and Gunn – been there for 3.5 years.
Hold Diploma’s in Brewing, Distilling and Packaging from the CIBD.

Part of my current role is the focus on packaging legislation and how it relates to production – DRS, EPR as well as labelling requirements for different markets.
Have been a member of the Chartered Institute of Brewing & Distilling for the majority of my career and am the Scottish section Treasurer and Dinner Secretary.
 

Ady Floyd is a certified Beer Specialist and seasoned World Beer Judge with over five years of experience tasting and evaluating beers from Canada to Scotland and beyond! She’s proudly served on panels for prestigious competitions such as the World Beer Awards, Canadian Brewing Awards, SIBA, and the Scottish Beer Awards, making her a trusted voice in the global beer scene.

Ady also runs ‘Just Beer Banter’, a social media platform dedicated to celebrating beer culture — from showcasing unique beer styles to spotlighting breweries doing standout work in quality, creativity, and inclusivity. She’s known to host tasting sessions and loves to uncover unique food and beer pairings that she can share with her followers, friends, family, and, well, anyone who will listen (and taste!)

Beyond beer, Ady is the VP of Brand & Client Success at Trend Hunter, the world’s #1 trend research firm, where she works with more than 40 leading brands daily to explore emerging trends in food & beverage, sustainability, and consumer behavior. As a futurist and international keynote speaker, she's led stages at Future Festival and EMA, and has created custom keynotes & workshops for brands like Diageo, Givaudan, Beam Suntory, and Crayola. 
Curious, creative, and unapologetically passionate about beer, Ady brings energy, insight, and a deep respect for the industry to everything she does. 

Audra Gaiziunas is the owner of Brewed For Her Ledger, LLC, a management consultancy firm focused on providing strategic financial and accounting guidance to the craft alcohol community. Aside from serving as a Fractional CFO, she is an owner in DSSOLVR and the Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the Brewers Association. Prior to launching her own company in 2013, she served as Dogfish Head Craft Brewery's Controller and Mother Earth Brewing's Chief Financial Officer. Audra possesses 20+ years experience in senior leadership roles in craft brewing, manufacturing, services, non-profits, and startups.

Lesley Ann Gray joined Worldpanel by Numerator in 2018 as its Strategic lead for Scotland. With over 30 years’ experience in the Scottish food and drink industry she works across Scotland’s Food and Drink sector, collaborating with companies and brands of all sizes, in addition to retailers, the public sector and academics. She helps them to understand and decode shopper behaviour in order to grow.

As the Sustainability Manager for Simpsons Malt, my role is to manage delivery of the organisation’s Sustainability Strategy to ‘Sustain our family business, communities and environment for future generations’ and all elements of operational energy and environmental management. I work closely with the Executive Team to support development of the Strategy and as well in developing relationships with key sustainability stakeholders (customers, trade organisations, government organisations, standards organisations) to ensure strategy alignment.

I have a Biology degree from Leeds University and have worked for Simpsons Malt since 2016. My previous role was the Technical Manager for McCreath Simpsons & Prentice. I am a qualified FACTs and BASIS agronomist with a technical agronomy background. My previous role within the organisation was to provide general technical knowledge on agronomy, nutrition and precision farming, with arable and grassland the key focus crops. I coordinated technical briefings and ensured the commercial team are up to date with FQA and all other aspects of the BASIS syllabus and codes of good agricultural practice.

I have complete responsibility for the company farm, including all operations, agronomic inputs, purchases, sales, and stewardship options. I have previously coordinated our annual Nutrition and Varietal trials programs as well.

My disciplines and technical abilities cover all aspects on-farm sustainability, but also in agronomy including agrochemical recommendations, complete nutrient management planning, recommendations, correct product selection, soil/leaf analysis interpretation. I also coordinate and manages our Customer Assurance schemes particularly relating to cereal crops grown under contract, which encompasses all aspects of sustainability and environmental factors that our end users demand. Policy and Regulation are an ongoing developing knowledge base which is regularly discussed and related to our business environment as they develop.

Johnny Horn is co-founder and head brewer at Holy Goat Brewing based in Dundee, Scotland. Specialising in experimental and novel fermentation methods, Holy Goat Brewing focuses on Brettanomyces fermentation mixed culture sour and barrel aged beers, alongside historic porters/stouts.

1989-94 Brewing Engineer Technical University Munich-Weihenstephan 
1994-95 Head of Production Durst Malt, Plant Gernsheim, Germany 
1996-97 Site Manager Brewery Huerlimann, Zurich, CH 
1997-04 Brewmaster Feldschloesschen Brewery Rheinfelden, CH 
2005-06 Group Carlsberg Supply Chain Production Director, Carlsberg Copenhagen, DK 
2007-10 CCO and National Head of the 3 Carlsberg Germany Breweries, Germany 
2010-12 Regional Carlsberg Supply Chain VP Asia, Hongkong 
2012-18 Group Carlsberg Supply Chain VP Manufacturing & Technologies, global SC-Headquarter, CH 
2018-now Group Carlsberg Supply Chain VP New Technologies, global SC-Headquarter, CH 

Dr Daniel Kerruish , holds a number of academic positions at TU Dublin, the University of Nottingham and the Chartered Institute of brewers and Distillers. Daniel’s previous role as Diageo’s group Microbiologist, saw Daniel undertake a number of non-alc related projects where he helped Diageo develop their non-alc beer, spirit, RTD and draught brands. As a founder member of BBT consultancy group, Daniel, with his BBT consultancy colleagues, has been engaged with delivering non-alc beer and non-alc wine projects in the UK, USA and Australia.

CEO, Nils Oscar. Mechanical engineer with experience in sales and business development from companies with ambition to grow and change. I see the big picture, and focus on the parts that are most important for achieving results. In the beer industry for 5 years, and it's a job that has all ingredients that make me want to go to work every day. Selling an experience, meeting passionate people, innovating, and producing top quality beer to a demanding customer.

David Lee has hosted more than 500 events - more than 300 in-person and 200+ online. These have included policy conferences on a wide range of subjects, as well as election hustings, awards ceremonies, trade shows, and seminars. He has hosted the seminar stage at In-Drinks Glasgow and chaired the inaugural Scottish Distillers' Conference in autumn 2024. In 2025, he will chair the Distillers event again, as well as a new Whisky Conference. 
David has also presented more than 100 podcasts, and has a successful media training business. 

He has run his own company since 2009 and was previously a daily newspaper journalist for 20 years, latterly Senior Assistant Editor at The Scotsman. 
Away from work, he is an obsessive coastal rower, and an angry footballer of declining ability. He has four grown-up children and two border collies. 

Chris Lewington has spent his career working with breweries of all sizes, helping them reduce costs, improve efficiency, and lower carbon emissions. 
 
Over the past two years, his company, Brew Resourceful, has worked with leading names in the industry such as Northern Monk, Full Circle, Murphy & Sons, and Vault City to deliver practical, process-based solutions that enhance profitability and sustainability. 
 
Chris is also a regular speaker at global brewing industry events, sharing his expertise on savings costs in operations, decarbonising, and creating more resource-efficient breweries 

Prof. Dawn Maskell is the Director of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling at Heriot-Watt University. Dawn has a PhD from Oxford Brookes University in brewing yeast physiology and an Honours degree in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University. Today Dawn works with many brewing and distilling companies on short and long term research projects and is particularly interested in yeast physiology, fermentation process improvement and sustainability.  

Dawn is a member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and holds a Diploma in Brewing. Dawn is also on the Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and is a member of the IBD Scottish Section Committee. Dawn is the Chair of the Technical Committee for the American Society of Brewing Chemists, where she also sits on the Board of Directors and is part of the Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists. 

Dawn has recently been announced as the new Chair of the Scottish Beer Awards.

Sonja Mitchell is the founder of Jump Ship Brewing, Scotland's only exclusively-alcohol-free brewery.  As someone who loves beer, and hates hangovers, she and the rest of the crew have worked hard to develop an inclusive range of beers that deliver all the excitement and craft, with none of the hang-ups of alcohol. Their range includes fruity sours, heavy hitty IPA's, easy-drinking pales and crisp lager.

Phil is the Client service director for UK and Ireland at CGA working with an array of drinks supplier business, wholesalers and licensees to understand the opportunities and challenges that exist in the on trade. Phil has worked extensively in multiple markets in his career, advising on NPD strategy and sales optimization for the global alcohol supply businesses 

Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of The Brooklyn Brewery, the author of the bestsellers The Brewmaster’s Table, and the Editor-in-Chief of The Oxford Companion to Beer. He judged the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup for 25 years and was also a seven-time judge of the GBBF’s CBoB competition. He is also a knight of the Chevalerie du Fourquet des Brasseurs (Knights of The Brewers’ Fork) of Belgium.  
 
In 2020 he founded (and is president of) the Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing and Distilling (MJF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that funds scholarships for technical education in the brewing and distilling fields for people of colour working in the United States. The MJF has funded more than 60 scholarships to date.  
 
In 2024, the MJF was named Brewbound “Cause of the Year” and VinePair “Non-Profit of the Year” and his Brooklyn Fonio Rising Pale Ale was named Brewbound “Best New Product” of the year.  

Stewart is an experienced Chartered Accountant with extensive knowledge of SME accounting and taxation issues. He joined Johnston Carmichael July 2007 and has been a central part of growth journey experienced by the firm in the period that followed. Stewart manages a portfolio of clients providing accounting, tax and business advisory services with a view to enhancing value and building relationships as a trusted advisor. 
  
Stewart has a primary focus on the Food and Drink sector and acts as Deputy Head of Food and Drink for the firm. 

David Quain joined the brewing industry in 1970 as a Laboratory Assistant before obtaining a BSc (1976, Heriot-Watt University), PhD (1979, University of Liverpool). He has worked at Campden BRI, Bass/Coors/Molson Coors, Heriot-Watt University, University of Nottingham, the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers and his own consultancy. He was awarded a DSc from Heriot-Watt University in 2025. 
  
David is a Fellow and Cambridge Prize winner of the CIBD and an Honorary Professor of Fermentation and Dispense Technology at the University of Nottingham. Since 2017, he has been Editor in Chief of the Journal of the Institute of Brewing.  
  
His current research focuses on draught beer hygiene and quality.  Between 1979-2025, he has published numerous papers, chapters and articles and is coauthor with Chris Boulton of the big book, Brewing Yeast & Fermentation. 

Jim Rankin is the Commercial Director at Rankin Brothers & Sons, a prominent company dedicated to the development, manufacture, and supply of closures for Beers, Wines and Spirits producers in the UK and Ireland. In his capacity as the Commercial Director, Jim is responsible for guiding and optimising the functions of Commercial, Technical, and Materials Development teams. His primary objective is to facilitate collective progress and ensure that the teams excel in their respective roles, contributing to the company's continued success and growth.

At Rankin Brothers & Sons, Jim Rankin's role as the Commercial Director is multifaceted. He oversees critical aspects of the business, including Commercial operations, Technical expertise, and Materials Development. His leadership is instrumental in guiding the teams to achieve their best performance and contribute to the company's mission of providing top-notch closures to Beers, Wines & Spirits producers.

The company's core focus is on developing, manufacturing, and supplying closures for various beverages, including T-Top Stoppers for spirits including Gins & Whiskies, wine corks, bottle caps, tamper-evident sleeves, and beer barrel bungs. An essential aspect of their operations is their commitment to producing truly homegrown products. They manage and own an impressive expanse of over 4,500 acres of family cork forest in Portugal, ensuring that their stoppers are grown from acorn to the finished product under their meticulous supervision.

A significant part of Rankin Brothers & Sons' work revolves around assisting businesses in the Beers, Wines & Spirits sectors in realising the creative potential of their closures. As beverage producers spend considerable effort crafting and perfecting their recipes, the bottle deserves a top-quality stopper to complement the product inside. Jim Rankin and his team collaborate closely with brands to ensure that the closure aligns with their vision and elevates their packaging to new heights.

Since joining Stewart Brewing in 2014, Craig has led the creation of an award-winning beer portfolio that celebrates innovation, experimentation, and quality whilst respecting traditional styles and practices. Craig is know for bringing fresh thinking and flavour-forward approaches to one of the country's best-known independent brewers. Craig graduated from Heriot-Watt University with a Masters in Brewing and Distilling in 2015. 

Birgitte Skadhauge completed her studies (M. Sci degree) at The Royal and Veterinarian University, Copenhagen in 1992. This was followed by a Ph.D. degree in biochemistry and genetics at the Carlsberg Laboratory (1993-1996). Since 2003 she has been responsible for Carlsberg Raw Material Research, and in 2011 she became Director for Carlsberg Applied Research. In 2012 she was appointed Adjunct Professor at Århus University, Denmark and since 2018 Adjunct Professor at Copenhagen University. Since 2014 she has held a position as Vice President for the Carlsberg Research Laboratory and Baltika Research. She has been actively involved in establishing Traitomic A/S, a company based on Carlsberg’s FIND-ITTM (trait idenfication technology). She is a member of several scientific advisory boards and committees, appointed member of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters, Danish Industry, Board member in Secobra Recherches (France), Association of Danish variety Owners, Scandinavian Brewing School, Danish Preferred, AgroFoodTure, AerBio and SEGES Innovation.

Lucy Stevens is the founder and brewer behind Closet Brewing; Scotland's only explicitly queer brewery. Starting out when she moved to Scotland in 2018, she holds a passion and interest in creative beers that led to Closet Brewing's launch in 2022. Since then she's wasted no time in brewing a wide variety of styles from German Doppelbocks, to fruited modern sours, and delicate Belgian Witbiers, drawing inspiration from a host of unusual sources; including botanical gardens and baked goods.

TRKR, part of the NIQ Partner network, supports FMCG suppliers across all categories, with a specific focus on Category Management and New Product Development. Clients ranging from Peperami and McBride, to BrewDog and Albert Bartlett. 
Mark is co-founder & Insight Director at TRKR, leading Category Management and Bespoke Insight projects for clients. Mark not only supports clients with accessing EPOS and Panel data from NIQ and Kantar, he also then creates compelling retail trade arguments and often presents to retail buyers alongside TRKR clients as their outsourced insight expert. 
Mark has helped several brands achieve national listings with Tesco and Sainsbury’s in particular, as well as winning private label tenders with M&S.  
 
Prior to TRKR, Mark spent 15 years at Kantar Worldpanel as Business Unit Director where he headed up the Ireland and Scotland business units, responsible for a combined turnover of £6m.  

Tamanda Whittle is an experienced Quality Specialist with an MSc in Project Management. They work within the BarthHaas Europe Quality and Sustainability team. Their role focuses on customer satisfaction, product compliance, traceability, and embedding sustainability at the core of quality.