Our Company
Edrington makes some of the world’s best-loved Scotch Whiskies. The Macallan is our central focus, supported by Highland Park and The Glenrothes in the fast-growing Single Malt category and Naked in the Blended Malt category.
We have strategic partnerships with Tequila Partida and Wyoming Whiskey in the dynamic Tequila and American Whiskey categories. Our portfolio is completed with The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky and Brugal premium rum in the Dominican Republic.
Business Model
Edrington is an international business headquartered in Scotland. We employ over 3,500 people in our wholly-owned and joint venture companies, and two thirds of our people are based outside the UK.
The company’s business model has always had social responsibility at its core. When the Robertson sisters transferred their shareholding, and therefore their ownership, in Edrington to the newly formed charity The Robertson Trust in 1961, their ingenuity ensured that Edrington would remain independent and its history of philanthropy would continue.
Their legacy is alive and well in Edrington’s international community, where the company donates 1% of pre-tax profits to good causes chosen by staff in its offices outside the UK.
This model sets Edrington apart from its competition. The strong values of our organisation are complemented by our portfolio of highly successful brands. Edrington is focused on becoming the world's leading super-premium brand builder, with a strong track record of investing in both consumer marketing and the operational assets to bring those brands closer to consumers. The Macallan, Highland Park, The Glenrothes, Brugal rum and The Famous Grouse benefit from long-term investment to drive growth ahead of their categories.
People are the final ingredient in the business model. Edrington people are enterprising people. They enjoy the flexibility afforded by a short decision tree. Edrington's ownership model frees the company to be quick in its decision-making and long-range in its planning.
With its unique ownership model, respected brands and talented people, Edrington is a distinctive, independent force in international premium spirits.
Our Performance
Annual review and key financial statements 2020
Past annual reports highlights:
-
Edrington Annual Report & Accounts 2019.pdf
PDF - 4 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report & Accounts 2018
PDF - 4 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report and Accounts 2017 LR
PDF - 2 MB
-
Edrington Annual Review 2016 Abbreviated
PDF - 6 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report 2015
PDF - 5 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report and Accounts 2014
PDF - 6 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report 2013
PDF - 4 MB
-
Edrington Annual Report 2012
PDF - 4 MB
Directors
Edrington’s board of directors sets the company’s vision and strategic priorities. Combining depth of experience and breadth of skills, the board oversees management of the company’s interests with a commitment to the highest standards of governance and corporate citizenship, in line with Edrington’s unique ownership structure.
Crawford Gillies
Chairman
Crawford Gillies is an experienced non-executive director, currently on the boards of SSE and Barclays Bank, where he chairs the remuneration committee. Crawford has also chaired notable private and service sector organisations including Scottish Enterprise. He also founded The Saltire Foundation, which helps develop entrepreneurial leadership in Scotland.
Scott McCroskie
Chief Executive
Scott has more than 20 years' experience in the industry. He joined Edrington in 2009 and was appointed commercial director in 2011. Scott joined the Edrington board in 2013, and in 2015 became managing director of The Macallan, Edrington's leading brand and the world's most valuable Scotch Whisky. He was appointed chief executive of Edrington in 2019.
Scott is the chairman of the Scotch Whisky Association.
Paul Hyde
Chief Financial Officer
Paul is a chartered accountant who joined Edrington in 1997 and occupied a range of senior finance roles before becoming strategy and development director. He was appointed managing director of Edrington's regional power brands in 2015. In August 2016 he was appointed Edrington's chief financial officer. Paul serves on the council of the Scotch Whisky Association.
Graham Hutcheon
Managing Director, Group Operations
Graham Hutcheon joined Edrington in 2000 as director of distillation. He was appointed group operations director in 2003 and is President of Brugal. He is a member of The Scotch Whisky Association, chairing the environment committee, and is director of The Scotch Whisky Research Institute and chairman of the North British Distillery. Graham also serves on the Council of the CBI Scotland.
Gavin Murray
Group General Counsel and Company Secretary
Gavin joined Edrington in 2020 and is an experienced corporate lawyer. He has held senior General Counsel positions within a number of listed multinational companies, including Smiths Group plc, Signature Aviation plc and Spectris plc. His experience spans a wide range of industries including private aviation and industrial technology.
Gavin practised as a corporate lawyer with Dickson Minto in Edinburgh and Clifford Chance LLP in London. He is dual-qualified and admitted as a solicitor in Scotland and England.
Alice Avis
Non-Executive Director
Alice Avis MBE was appointed a non-executive director of Edrington in 2015. She has significant international marketing and executive experience, in roles that include director of marketing and e-commerce for Marks and Spencer, global brand director of Johnnie Walker and chief executive of Sanctuary Spa.
Stefanie Fitzgerald
Non-Executive Director
Stefanie Fitzgerald was appointed as a non-executive director in 2018. She brings significant international and digital marketing experience of managing some of the world's best-known luxury fragrance brands. Stefanie is currently SVP Brand, Product, Digital at La Perla Beauty.
Shinichiro Hizuka
Non-Executive Director
Shinichiro Hizuka joined the Edrington board as a non-executive director in March 2020, representing Suntory Holdings Ltd. He has been with Suntory for more than 40 years. He was appointed Director and Senior Managing Executive Officer of Suntory Holdings Limited in 2015, and Director and Executive Vice President in 2020.
Angus Cockburn
Non-Executive Director
Angus is a Chartered Accountant with an MBA from the IMD Business School in Switzerland. He has been Group Chief Financial Officer of Serco Group plc since October 2014. Prior to that he was Chief Financial Officer and Interim Chief Executive at Aggreko plc. He is the Senior Independent Non-Executive at Ashtead plc and was also previously Senior Independent Director of GKN. He is an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh.
Angus joined the Board in September 2020.
History
Edrington’s success stems from a heritage of exceptional people dedicated to quality, integrity, independence and innovation.
The origins of the company stretch back to the mid-nineteenth century, when William Robertson founded the Robertson & Baxter company in Glasgow.
The Robertson family also founded Highland Distillers in 1887 and, ultimately, in 1999, Edrington acquired Highland along with its iconic brands The Famous Grouse, The Macallan and Highland Park. Today, these renowned premium spirit brands are distributed across international markets by a network of Edrington’s own distribution companies and selected partnerships.
Edrington is focused on its future as an independent, international company offering distinctive, premium spirit brands.
We know where we’re going. Take a closer look at how far we've come.
1800s
-
William A Robertson starts up in Glasgow in the mid 19th century. In 1861 Robertson & Baxter is founded and establishes itself as a successful broker in the whisky market.
1861 -
The Highland Distilleries Company plc is founded, emerging as a significant force in the Scottish whisky industry over the coming years. William Robertson serves as its first chairman.
1887
1900s
-
William Robertson's granddaughters, Agnes, Ethel and Elspeth, combine their business interests under a holding company, Edrington and create a charitable trust to be its principal owner and distribute its dividends to charities in Scotland.
1961 -
Highland Distilleries acquires Matthew Gloag & Son and with it, The Famous Grouse.
1970 -
Robertson & Baxter, the Clyde Bonding Company and The Clyde Cooperage Company are combined and become known as Edrington.
1996 -
Edrington acquires Highland Distillers.
1999
2000s
-
Edrington acquires a majority stake in Brugal rum in the Dominican Republic, expanding its portfolio beyond Scotch whisky for the first time.
2008 -
Edrington Africas opens in Johannesburg, bringing Edrington’s brands to growing markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
2012 -
Edrington-Fix, a joint venture is formed to distribute the company's brands to growing markets in the Middle East, the Gulf and north Africa. In 2017 the business becomes a wholly-owned by Edrington, known as Edrington Middle East & Africa.
Edrington Singapore begins operations, managing the brands in markets across South East Asia.
2013 -
Edrington Americas opens to serve the world's largest premium spirits market. The regional hub in New York is supported by offices in Miami, Chicago and Newport Beach.
2014 -
Edrington extends its global travel retail business with joint ventures that later become wholly owned companies - Edrington Travel Retail Americas and Edrington European Travel Retail.
2015 -
Edrington strengthens its Middle East presence when it becomes the sole shareholder in Edrington Fix Middle East, and the company becomes known as Edrington Middle East & Africa.
2016 -
Edrington establishes a new global headquarters at 100 Queen Street in Glasgow, near to West Nile Street, where the business was based for 110 years.
2017 -
Edrington purchases The Glenrothes brand from Berry Bros & Rudd, reuniting the brand with its distillery.
2017 -
Edrington increases its stake in premium Tequila Partida to 25%.
2018 -
Edrington's new distillery and brand home for The Macallan is acclaimed "a game changer" for premium spirits
2018 -
Edrington takes a strategic stake in Wyoming Whiskey, bringing the craft American Whiskey to consumers in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
2018