Why are we called Thoroughbred?

A fifth-generation distiller, Scott has over 25 years’ experience in the distilling business. Having owned two of his own distilleries, overseen the development of twenty others, and helped develop more than 50 brands, he provides invaluable overall experience to any spirits project. Scott is an expert in creating strategies to mitigate risks in startup and emerging spirits businesses and managing brand portfolios of all sizes, including long-established internationally distributed brands.

Amanda is a seasoned brand and marketing executive with brand strategy and operations expertise in consumer goods, healthcare, and entertainment. After 10 years in aesthetic sales & marketing strategy, Amanda’s eye was caught by a growing field in the artisan spirits arena and decided to make the jump. For the past six years, she has been helping clients see the brands from a women’s point of view. “It’s not always just about the liquid.” Further, Amanda provides leadership to the marketing team with a focus on innovation and strategic marketing initiatives.

Having been in and around the spirits business for over a decade, both as an entrepreneur and on the buy-side, David has been involved with dynamic start-ups as well as large Wall Street firms. Drawing from this experience, he helps clients advance strategy, facilitate product development, improve operational costs and quality, and provide guidance for exit strategies. In addition, David runs Thoroughbred Spirits Partners Fund, one of the first private equity funds focused on the spirits industry.

Shannon spent 13 years in the not-for-profit/fundraising arena before transitioning fully into the spirits space as the Retail & Events Director for a local craft distillery in Nashville, TN, where she developed her love for the spirits industry. As a Project Manager at Thoroughbred, Shannon uses her industry knowledge and attention to detail to assist with internal projects as well as help provide superior, specialized service to all of our clients.

For over 20 years, Sam has excelled in the liquor industry. She was the Managing Director for Angel’s Envy responsible for company development, branding, marketing, PR development, as well as strategic and local market execution plans for Angel’s Envy. She earned her title of “Whiskey Chick” through a personal passion for whiskey (and spirits in general) learning her CSS. Before Angel’s Envy, she served as Senior VP for Altamar Brands, where she was directly accountable for brand development and strategy on the portfolio of brands - including the launch of Tequila Ocho. Prior to that, she worked as Senior Marketing Director for the Whiskey Portfolio at Beam Global North America, Regional Marketing Director for Super Premium Spirits at Brown-Forman, and Brand Manager at Schefflin and Somerset.

Jen has over 15 years of Field Marketing experience, moving up from the ground level to field marketing direction. After many years in market and regional event management and recruiting/staffing, she moved brand side with a specialty of developing educational trade ambassador programs fueled by true brand connection and loyalty. Her passion is for growing emerging brands, focusing on savvy trade and event strategies for the field.

Christina has done work as a Brand Ambassador for KOVAL Distillery here in Chicago where she was able to gain insight into the field of spirits, the distillation process, and connect with numerous accounts through both on and off-premise tastings. In addition, Christina comes from a theatrical background so she can offer a fresh, creative eye to a variety of projects. She also enjoys the collaborative process with other individuals and truly believes that the best work can be done, together.

Simone is a fourth-generation wine and spirits professional with a deep-rooted passion for the beverage alcohol industry. He began his career in hospitality before joining his family’s distribution business in Louisville, KY, where he rose to Director of Operations and helped lead a major merger and growth phase. After transitioning into sales at RNDC, Simone launched the Alliance Division—partnering with Brown-Forman, Bacardi, and Remy—and played a key role in the revival of bourbon and the emergence of today’s leading craft brands. As Vice President of Sales, he led one of RNDC’s top-performing markets before taking on a national role to launch The Artisan Group (TAG), aligning craft portfolios across 37 states. Simone brings a unique perspective on brand building, market strategy, and what it takes to launch and scale successful craft products.

From international gin brands to boutique craft bourbons, Benjamin has had an impeccable career dedicated to craft spirits and luxury goods space, and is widely known for his expertise in beverage branding. Having begun his career working on multinational spirit brands, he quickly began dedicating his time to the craft sector. Over the last 7 years as Creative Director for Thoroughbred, Benjamin’s work has been defined by a strong handcrafted feel and an excellent attention to detail, with brand development and design that is both aesthetically pleasing and strategically sound.

Kristin joins the Thoroughbred team with over 17 years of marketing experience in the wine & spirits industry. Her diverse background includes brand innovation & development, strategy, packaging design, trade marketing, advertising and sponsorship. Her passion lies in new brand development and she has helped develop over 10 brands during her tenure. Kristin works closely with the design team to create innovative concepts and turn them into reality.

Jamie joins us with over 20 years of artwork production under his belt – working with both large Wines & Spirits owners and specialist packaging agencies in the UK & US. His passion is for getting it right first time; on-time. He really tries to get to the soul of the brands he works with; both the long-established names and those exciting, up-and-coming ventures we all love. With a positive and fun outlook, he believes ‘every day is a school day’. As such, he has made his packed lunch and is ready for the next test!

Designer specializing in packaging and branding for the drinks industry with over 18 years experience working in the UK and US and now in Australia/New Zealand. Ewa was particularly influenced by her time as a designer at Stranger & Stranger where she was a designer in their London and then New York studios. Born in Poland and now based in New Zealand Ewa brings her understanding of the international drinks market to the table.

Lucy joins Thoroughbred Spirits as the Director of Brand Development. Specializing in brand strategy, and drawing from her experience of developing and marketing brands in a variety of industries, Lucy works closely with clients and our design team to help meld goals and vision into tangible products. Lucy is ultimately focused on executing authentic brands that succeed by connecting visually and emotionally with their audiences.

Entering the world of spirits manufacturing as a process research associate at McGuinness Distillers, Steve went on to become a research scientist at Hiram Walker. There he worked for the next nineteen years and became a process development manager and supported all manufacturing and distillation processes. At Allied Domecq, Steve was the Global Liquid Innovation Director, where he focused on driving liquid development. Steve specializes in technical processes and product development.

As mercurial as they come, Matt has worked in virtually every spirit category at some point in his career winning numerous awards for his whiskeys, gins, rums, and liqueurs. He is a prolific educator and writer, authoring two highly regarded books for the distilling industry, countless articles for various trade magazines, and is an ongoing faculty member of schools and universities both in the U.S. and abroad.

Beginning his career in Distillery Operations at McGuiness Distillers Ltd, Rick has more than 38 years experience in the production of distilled spirits including distillation, maturation, packaging, process optimization as well as safety, energy, and efficiency improvements. Rick eventually became production superintendent (The Distiller) at Alberta Distillers. Rick is a Certified Power Engineer and a proud recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Canadian Whisky Awards.

Beginning his career, as a distiller process engineer at Hiram Walker Distillery, Dan's 23 years of experience in operations & plant management led him to serve in multiple roles as a vice president, as well as, technical director. With a degree in Chemical Engineering, Dan has extensive knowledge in spirits manufacturing, operations, and technical management, providing his expertise for both multinationals and craft distilleries alike.

Rob comes to Thoroughbred with nearly 30 years of experience in the Architectural field, and an almost equaled timeframe of enjoying bourbon. Utilizing a well-honed skill set that is proficient in design, he also brings a strong work ethic and a passion towards providing the best possible outcomes for his clients. Understanding the importance of collaboration, Rob works in conjunction with our Distillery Engineers, Dan and Rick, to provide CAD based presentation, distillery and process drawings for our clients.

Bryan is a psychotherapist, executive coach, motivational expert, and consultant for businesses, teams, and corporate mental health and wellness, with a proven track record of increased health and productivity for c-suite executives, business professionals, coaches and consultants, and more. As a leadership health advocate, Bryan has spent 15+ years consulting on strategic interventions for leader vitality and health. He is a regular featured speaker on mental and spiritual well-being with 20+ years of combined clinical and pastoral counseling.

Don has 25+ years of experience in commercial sales and trade marketing in the beverage alcohol industry. His expertise is in distributor management, strategic analytics, and building sales organizations for craft distillers. In addition, he develops route-to-market evaluation and implementation for various whiskey, tequila, and cordial brands in the U.S. Don has a passion for working with distiller founders, distributors, and trade buyers.

Andy is a 20-year veteran in beer, wine, and spirits. He began his career in spirits at Diageo UK in various roles, leading key customers and developing talent in large commercial teams. He has vast experience working with international markets and has a passion for languages (fluent in English, French, and German), people development, and developing deep partnerships with brand owners and distributors. “Nobody is a stranger – just someone you don’t know yet.”

Kristi joins the Thoroughbred team with more than 10 years of experience assisting businesses with their full-charge bookkeeping needs. With a background in the spirits industry, small business, restaurant, and additional markets, her expertise plays a crucial role in keeping a pulse on the company by providing Thoroughbred and all clients with accurate, up-to-date financial information.