There are exciting times at Glen Turner Distillery, with the business expanding and continually investing across their sites. They also have some new faces in the leadership team, and we caught up with new General Manager Ian McLaren to talk about his plans.
Ian, you have been in the business for 6 months now, how are things? What has been happening at Glen Turner?
Glen Turner has been consistently growing since the greenfield development near Bathgate in 2004, and it’s never stopped investing. We continue to invest in technology and opportunities, meaning we are looking for the right people to join us on this journey.
I was attracted to Glen Turner because of the ambition of the business to continue to grow but also the opportunity to be centrally involved in a business with the ability to make fundamental decisions without excessive red tape. There’s lots happening right now and lots of change, so the people coming into the business need to be strong enough to help drive the changes but also have stretch to get involved in more as we have so much coming up.
You are looking for an operations manager to support you on this journey, can you tell us more about the type of person that would work well in this role?
Due to the relative scale of our UK business this role is all encompassing, providing a fantastic opportunity for someone who thrives in leading a dynamic team and can support, develop and direct a multi-facetted team.
I believe we need someone who can lead, motivate and inspire the teams through this journey. We are a lean site so this person must possess the ability to think strategically but equally roll their sleeves up when needed. The teams here are passionate about this site so I am looking for someone who can take that passion and use it to help take us to the next level.
You are also growing the team with a newly created role for a bottling manager, tell us more about this?
This new role is key for this current growth phase, since the acquisition of the premium Cutty Sark Brand in December along with the continued growth in existing brands, bottling is crucial in delivering the plan, so it’s a great opportunity for someone to come in and really shape the role.
What does the future hold for the business?
The future is very bright, with this being only the recent phase in our growth plans. We are all in for an exciting yet challenging time. Watch this space!
Sounds like there are some great opportunities for people to develop their career?
There certainly is! Like all businesses, we are developing our talent and succession planning. Bringing in key people is not only important for the here and now, but also for the longer term. Working here means you are working on a site that has all functions working together, a cohesive team and also the opportunity to gain exposure in all parts of the process from ‘Grain to Glass’.
To find out more about the roles available at Glen Turner, you can apply online now: