Adam Kellett
Walsall,West Midlands
Summary
Chartered Chemical Engineer with 17+ years experience in process engineering design and team management in the brewing, distilled spirits, food and biotech industries.
Experienced in all stages of a project life. Usually the primary technical interface with a customer while taking a project from early concept stage through detailed design stage and then through commissioning and handover.
Currently Technology Department Manager at Briggs of Burton, providing technical oversight and sign-off of designs ahead of implementation and responsible for development of new design standards and tools.
Have help various roles in the business while developing from Process Engineer through to Process Engineering department manager.
Enjoy presenting on technical innovations in distilling and brewing in industry, universities and at conferences. Most recently at the Word Distilled Spirits Conference 2023.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
5
5
years of post-secondary education
1
1
Certification
Work history
Technology Department Manager
Briggs of Burton PLC
Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
05.2025 - Current
- Technical oversight and sign-off of process designs developed at sales/pre-engineering stage, ensuring designs will perform in line with customer criteria.
- Co-ordinate the development and roll out of new design standards across the group.
- Line management and resource co-ordination of Process Engineering and Commissioning teams on live projects.
- Lead the resolution of live technical issues to minimise downtime across projects.
Process Engineering Manager
Briggs of Burton PLC
Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
03.2022 - 05.2025
- Directed resource planning, recruitment, and training for 15-20 Process Engineers from Graduate to Lead Engineer level.
- Facilitated team development through performance reviews and one-to-one meetings.
- Guided two Process Engineers to achieve Chartership via IChemE and promotion to Senior Engineer.
- Conducted weekly cross-functional meetings to discuss project insights, safety, and supplier innovations.
- Monitored budgeted engineering hours to ensure project deliverables were met.
- Established team priorities across 30-40 simultaneous projects during weekly departmental meetings.
- Managed annual departmental budget effectively.
- Oversaw Process Design from FEED to Construction for a £100M multi-stream Tequila Distillery for a major client.
Lead Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton PLC
Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire
07.2018 - 04.2022
- Lead Process designer and main client technical interface on EPC and EPCM projects in Brewing, Distilling & Bio-Renewables from FEED study to commissioning & handover.
- Responsible for all P&ID development, Process Validation, Process mapping & master planning, URS/Process Descriptions, HAZOP/LOPA/Design Risk Assessment, Equipment Specification & Selection.
- Trained and mentored graduate engineers and team members on best practices and project learnings.
- Led the process design from concept to handover of a green-field brewery in Leicester, from raw materials to packaging, including all utility systems.
- Process design and validation of a major craft beer expansion at a large US brewery in Georgia.
- Design from early concept through to construction for full scale bio-butanol demonstration facility in Grangemouth, Scotland.
- Developed process design through FEED for green-field malt whisky distillery in China, including design for 'zero water discharge' due to the location, later presented at World Distilled Spirits Conference 2023.
- Designed and and presented a process master plan for liquid and solids by-products handling at a major US distillery in Kentucky with project value $145M (2022).
Senior Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton PLC
Burton on Trent, Staffordshire
09.2013 - 07.2018
- Led the process design stage of a yeast & enzymes propagation facility for a second generation bio-ethanol production facility in Brazil for a Major US energy client based in Houston TX. Led a multi-discipline project team in the detailed design of the facility.
- Lead process designer from concept to commissioning of a cold block expansion at a large brewery in Burton on Trent. Led all control system/software development through FAT and commissioning. Responsible for process and control integration of multiple third party systems including centrifugation, membrane filtration, dosing, PVPP and de-aerated water systems to deliver a single integrated system.
- Multiple projects for brewhouse expansions and optimisations for a large brewery in Wales.
- Design and commissioning of an aseptic seed-yeast propagation facility in Hull, UK.
Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton
Burton on Trent, Staffordshire
07.2008 - 08.2013
- Process Engineer reporting to Group Process Engineering Manager, quickly gaining responsibilities from early design stage through to commissioning.
- Quickly established myself as a client facing process engineer with flexibility to work on all stages of a project life cycle, from Mass & Energy Balance/PFD stage, through P&ID/FDS development and into commissioning.
- Ability to work across disciplines, skilled at bringing different engineering disciplines together to address challenges.
- Was selected by the Sales Director to be placed at the of a major US energy company in Houston TX to provide consultsncy services on hygienic & sterile system design for a second generation bio-ethanol facility in Florida.
- Process design of yeast propagation plant for US brewery.
- Commissioning of large scale bakers & distillers yeast production facility in Harbin, China.
- Successful application for Chartership through the IChemE after demonstrating all core competencies after 5 years experience.
Education
MEng - Chemical Engineering with Management
Loughborough University
Loughborough 09.2003 - 07.2008
Skills
- Decision-Making
- Team Leadership
- Relationship building
- Time and Resource Management
- Talent development
- Standards & Tools Development
- Process Mapping & Master Planning
- Project Scope/Design Basis definition
- P&ID/PFD development
- URS development
- HAZOP/LOPA
Certification
Chartered Chemical Engineer - CEng, IChemE.
Mentor for the IMechE professional development scheme.
Site Management Safety Training Scheme (SMSTS) - 2023.
Affiliations
- Cooking
- Exercise - Running & Swimming
- Family time
Timeline
Technology Department Manager
Briggs of Burton PLC
05.2025 - Current
Process Engineering Manager
Briggs of Burton PLC
03.2022 - 05.2025
Lead Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton PLC
07.2018 - 04.2022
Senior Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton PLC
09.2013 - 07.2018
Process Engineer
Briggs of Burton
07.2008 - 08.2013
MEng - Chemical Engineering with Management
Loughborough University
09.2003 - 07.2008