Kirsty McLeod

Responsible for reinvigorating and strengthening UK and international distribution and delivering structured commercial growth across a premium whisky portfolio valued at £5+m annual turnover.

Key Achievements

• In first 6 months, secured over 10 new distribution partnerships across priority territories, expanding footprint into 4 additional markets
• Increased revenue by 17+% in first 6 months
• Introduced structured CRM forecasting to improve visibility and planning
• Supported pricing reviews to maintain margins and premium positioning
• Streamlined selling and order processes to improve outcomes

Responsibilities

• Lead UK and international sales strategy
• Manage key accounts and distributor relationships
• Identify new routes to market
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity
• Work closely with Marketing and Operations to ensure smooth execution

Led global and UK sales operations with full accountability for £8m+ annual revenue, overseeing revenue, pricing, forecasting, and distributor management across 60 international markets

Key Achievements:

• Achieved c.35% annual revenue growth in the first three years, followed by 20%+ YoY growth, growing turnover from £2m to £8m over six years through premium repositioning and disciplined route-to-market strategy
• Strengthened premium positioning, increasing average selling price and brand equity across international markets
• Improved gross margins via structured pricing and portfolio optimisation
• Built and motivated a high-performing sales team (3 Sales Managers, 2 Sales Executives, 1 Sales Administrator) with clear KPIs and accountability
• Expanded distribution into 20+ new markets, increasing brand reach and visibility
• Turned around or replaced underperforming distributors, restoring commercial performance and improving execution
• Managed key accounts and private cask clients, securing high-value commercial outcomes
• Negotiated major distribution agreements, strengthening market position and long-term partnerships
• Directed product and brand initiatives, including cask selection and premium positioning
• Partnered with Marketing and Finance to deliver regional campaigns, optimise profitability, and minimise credit risk
• Implemented robust reporting and KPI monitoring, providing actionable insights for strategic decision-making

Developed international growth strategies for SME drinks brands, guiding teams to deliver in new markets

• Built the export function from scratch
• Launched into 9 international markets in 18 months

Established brands and UK/Global networks from the ground up; built and managed long-term distributor partnerships