Sponsored article: Celebrating influential women across the drinks industry
Janice McIntosh
Marketing Director for UK, Europe and Global Travel Retail – Whyte and Mackay.
What has been your experience as a woman working in the drinks industry?
My experience has been a positive one in an industry that has been open and welcoming.
There have been times when I have been the only female in the room, but I’m delighted that is changing. I’ve been able to grow my career within the industry, including during my time at Whyte and Mackay.
Last year, I was truly honoured to become a Keeper of the Quaich in recognition of my commitment to the Scotch Whisky industry. There were many other females who became Keepers at the same time, which is a strong indicator that the industry is embracing change.
What challenges and obstacles have you personally overcome?
When I started my career in the drinks industry there were very few women, and looking back that could have been very intimidating.
I have had some great experiences working in teams where my contribution was valued and being a woman in the industry hasn’t held me back.
Today I really champion diversity, having different opinions and voices at the table. Diversity is something we should keep striving for to help us build stronger teams and achieve better outcomes.
How is female equality enabled at your own organisation?
At Whyte and Mackay everyone has a voice and fresh perspectives are welcomed. There are females at all levels and working across all our markets.
For women joining Whyte and Mackay there are a number of female role models to look up to which is fantastic. We also have great staff retention which I think is partly to do with being open to colleagues taking secondments or permanent moves to a different part of the business.
If people show commitment and passion for what we do, they can excel and learn in different roles, and I would absolutely encourage that.
What opportunities does your organisation offer for gender-blind career advancement?
As an organisation we are evolving our recruitment policies to ensure we are selecting the best candidates based on skills and experience rather than demographics, making an effort to remove bias where possible. This is a work in progress, and we are learning at each stage.
In my role as a Director, I recognise that I am a leader in our working culture. I need to lead by example and my style is inclusive, ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued. I encourage contributions and ideas from everyone so we can be brave and try new things.
Can you tell us about positive experiences where inclusivity has helped you in business?
At Whyte and Mackay I have seen my career grow, and my role has expanded to cover additional markets and teams. Working in a relatively small company in close proximity to the senior leadership teams has been motivating and enabling as you can clearly see your own personal impact on the business.
I am fortunate that at W&M our Executive team are accessible, progressive and are open to making change for the business growth and benefit. I feel my contribution is listened to and valued.
Can you tell us about any instances where a failure to be inclusive has impacted negatively on you or on your business?
At Whyte and Mackay the business has worked hard to improve policies for maternity and paternity leave however there is still some way to go, and this can at times lead to females dropping out of the workplace.
Having a family whilst juggling a career is difficult and requires flexibility from both the employer and employee. I have seen improvements in this over the last few years and we now have more examples of continued career progress on return from maternity leave.
In my own career I have been grateful for the flexibility my employers have shown which has enabled me to travel less when the children were young and now I have the options to do more as I work across global channels.
