Edward Thom

Coming Up

Distillery operations are learned in layers, and Edward Thom’s path shows that progression clearly: shift work, site oversight, and finally company-wide responsibility. He trained at Paisley Grammar School before moving into roles that grounded him in the day-to-day demands of production. From 1999–2005, at Ciba, he worked as Shift Manager, building the habits that define strong floor leadership: consistency, attention, and the ability to keep a site moving without losing control of detail. Weekend cover at Diageo from 2005–2009 added a different cadence to that experience. As Weekend Shift Manager, Thom was working in a part of the schedule where continuity matters just as much as during the week, and where smooth handover is part of the job. He then moved into Site Operations Manager roles at Diageo (2009–2019), with overlapping responsibility as Site Operations Manager at Diageo (2017–2019) and Site Operations Manager - Dufftown Distillery at Diageo (2017–2019). Those titles point to a career built through operational trust: the kind earned by keeping production steady, understanding the site, and carrying responsibility across multiple layers of work. In 2019, Thom became Site Manager The Glenmorangie Distillery at The Glenmorangie Company, a role he held through 2025. That position placed him at the point where heritage and daily production meet, requiring both oversight and familiarity with the working character of a distillery. Since 2025, he has been head of distilleries at The Glenmorangie Company, Tain, bringing together the experience accumulated across more than two decades in distilling operations. What defines Thom’s record is steady progression rather than sudden change. The move from Shift Manager to site manager to head of distilleries reflects a career built through practical experience and earned confidence. His own words acknowledge the operators at Caol Ila, Glen Elgin and Dufftown who shaped that work, which is a reminder that distillery leadership rests on the people who keep the process running.

Where They Are Now

Since 2025, as head of distilleries at The Glenmorangie Company, Tain, Edward Thom has been responsible for the broader distillery side of the business rather than a single site alone. The role draws on the discipline learned at Ciba, the operational rhythm of Diageo, the Dufftown years, and his time as Site Manager The Glenmorangie Distillery from 2019–2025. It is a position for someone who understands that distilling depends on process, timing, and the people who keep both aligned.

In Their Words “I wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for the operators at Caol Ila, Glen Elgin and Dufftown who put up with my strange ways.”