iain mcclune

As one of two Assistant Managers at Royal Mile Whiskies in Edinburgh I was responsible for a number of areas including, but not restricted too; financial management, merchandising, purchasing, staff management and increasing contacts with suppliers. During my time in this role I visited as many distilleries as I could and attended specialist events to gain a comprehensive understanding of the whisky industry and production processes. During this year I organised frequent staff tastings and events at the shop which encouraged and maintained staff enthusiasm and interest. I also continued to carry out my previous Sales Associate duties as detailed above.

As I wanted to pursue a career in the whisky industry I chose to leave my position as Assistant Manager to study towards a Master of Science in Brewing and Distilling at Heriot Watt University. I have continued to carry out some of my responsibilities as Assistant Manager such as daily staff management, however my responsibilities as a sales associate include; communicating with members of the public about our products, shop replenishment, stock control, cash handling and computer skills. I have the ability to work in a small, vibrant team who are required to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the business at all times.

As branch manager at Royal Mile Whiskies, all aspects of my previous roles remain valid. Additionally I now have responsibility for the flagship store of Royal Mile Whiskies, which has a large annual turnover and stock holding, with 15 employees.. My key responsibilities in this role includes but are not limited to: developing business, managing risk and the work place, improving stock control procedures, recruitment, increasing the profitability, developing employees while continually working to create a better, safer and more efficient work place.

Working in Edinburgh at the busy Christmas time allowed me to gain valuable experience in dealing with multiple tasks while ensuring all were dealt with effectively. While working in a small team it was essential that I was an all round team player and was willing to help with a number of different areas in the business from merchandising new stock to customer queries. My enthusiasm for whisky began to grow during this position.

* During my Masters course I have studied and enjoyed the following modules; * Cereals, Malt and Mashing * Wort, Fermentation and Maturation * Alcohol Beverage Technology * Distillation and Maturation * Filtration and Packaging. * Additionally, I have recently researched the effect maturation has on new make spirit and plan to work on my Masters Dissertation project with Diageo in the field of sensory analysis of sulphur compounds in Scotch Whisky. * I am the successful recipient of a Diageo Scholarship which helps Scottish Nationals with a strong previous academic background to be able to study for this Masters qualification.

Whisky Auctioneer is dedicated to the auctioning and valuation of fine and rare bottles of whisky. Formed in 2013 and based in Perth, central Scotland, Whisky Auctioneer aims to create the most comprehensive website available for the buying and selling of discontinued, exclusive and rare whiskies.

Activities and Societies: Curling, Squash and Whisky Society