Celebrating influential women across the drinks industry
Ainslie Kelly
National Account Manager for HORECA & RTM at Disaronno International UK
Tell us about your own success story, positive experiences etc?
“I started my journey in the spirits industry at Whyte and MacKay in 2015 where I worked in customer marketing, then moved into On Trade sales. I moved to Disaronnno International UK in 2021 to progress my career and knowledge of the spirits industry.
“I initially started at Disaronno as a Key Account Manger looking after multiple operators in Scotland. Since then I have progressed into a National Account Manager role managing the HORECA, Brewers & RTM North channels.
“As my career at Disaronno has grown and progressed so has our spirits portfolio allowing me to expand my current knowledge of various categories. I’ve always been an ambitious and driven individual who is always working towards my next goal or progression, both professionally and personally.
“As a female in an industry that is predominantly male led, it’s been such a personal achievement to progress naturally throughout the various roles I’ve had in my career, and I encourage anyone who has similar ambitions to follow them and learn from anyone where possible. It really is an exciting industry to work in and I love it!”
What opportunities are there for career evolution within your company?
“Disaronno International UK has seen tremendous growth since becoming a standalone UK entity in 2020. I was the very first field salesperson that was employed by DIUK, now we have a field sales team of 15 with ambitions to grow even bigger next year.
“With that being said, as our company grows and develops, and we bring on more brands, there are more job roles and opportunities for progression. I’m a prime example as I have been promoted into a National Account Manager originally only for HORECA but now also for RTM. We have recently had some cross functional moves internally also from sales to marketing and On Trade to Off Trade sales.”
What has your experience been like as a woman working in your field?
“I have always been a confident and outgoing person, however when I first moved into the world of whisky, I found it very intimidating as it was such a complex industry and so much competition with other brands.
“I worked with very knowledgeable and well-respected people within the industry and spending time with them and learning as much as possible really helped me to build my own confidence to stand alone in this field and helped my growth. The guidance, knowledge and training courses which aided my development have truly been the fundamental basis of the resilient salesperson that I currently am today.”
What challenges have you overcome in the past in this regard?
“I originally came from a car sales background which was also a very male dominated industry with similar challenges. As a young female in my mid 20’s starting out in the spirits industry it was an intimidating experience to begin with, as I felt people didn’t take you seriously if they had more experience than you, especially male figures.
“However, I do believe as I have developed both professionally and personally, and more younger females now exist within this industry, the diversity is slowly but surely changing for the better. It’s great to see so many young, confident, valuable females thrive within such a competitive industry. I am always open to helping anyone where I can if they are looking for support, guidance, or general knowledge about the industry.”
What experiences have your female clients had (positive or negative) within the drinks industry, if this is something you can share with us?
“I’ve shared similar experiences when first starting in my career within the spirits industry with it being a male dominated industry, however throughout the years I’ve built up an amazing network of driven, knowledgeable, and ambitious strong females who I would class now as friends.
“It’s a very small industry we work in, and I’ve made some amazing relationships with past and present colleagues and also people who I have met throughout the trade.
“It’s always great to see more woman being in positions of power also, which one day I aim to be in.”
https://www.disaronno.com/en-gb/
@Disaronno
