Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 12:57 am
The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) is delighted to announce Dr Megan Sheehy as their new President, taking over from Bhavya Mandanna. This makes Megan the IBD’s second successive female President and the fourth woman to hold the role in the organisation’s history. The announcement was made at the 19th Annual General Meeting (AGM) this week, where Bhavya Mandanna finalised her two-year tenure and will remain on the Board of Trustees as the Immediate Past President.
At the same AGM, Raphaël Grisoni was appointed as Vice President of the IBD. Raphaël is an international drinks industry leader, having worked in the Scotch whisky, champagne and rum industries. The Board’s expertise and experience is reflective of the IBD’s global reach as the world’s leading provider of professional development in brewing, distilling and related industries.
Dr Megan Sheehy, based in Adelaide, has over 20 years of experience in the barley, malting and brewing industries. She has worked with Joe White Maltings, Lion, Barley Australia and most recently Grains Australia Limited, where she held the role of General Manager Classification since February 2022. She is also a Fellow of the IBD and has been a Director and Chairperson for the IBD’s Asia Pacific Section.
Megan’s primary responsibilities as President will be Board leadership, prioritising the growth and development of the IBD. She will be focusing on enhancing membership engagement and value following the IBD’s recent granting of chartership status.
Commenting on her new role, Megan said: “It is an honour and a privilege to accept the role of the President of the IBD and I would like to thank Bhavya and the Board of Trustees for the immense amount of work that has been completed over the last two years. The IBD is the leading technical education provider and global network of professionals working in brewing, distilling and allied industries which sets the gold standard and excellence in technical knowledge in the sector. I am proud to have the opportunity to lead the Board through this important time and to continue growing the global relevance and reach of the IBD”.
IBD Chief Executive Officer Tom Shelston commented: “We are delighted to have Megan as our new President. She is passionate about the industry and brings a lot of experience from her impressive career which will further support our ambitions to serve the industry. I’d also like to recognise the fantastic job that Bhavya has done in the last two years in continuing to grow the global reach and reputation of the IBD.”
The IBD was founded in 1886 with the mission of providing excellence in technical education for professional brewers and distillers and associated suppliers. With four levels of globally recognised qualifications, the IBD caters for all types of professionals with a passion for brewing and distilling. With over 100,000 industry professionals receiving their technical education with the IBD, it is a global institution with over 3,000 members across 90 countries. Every year, around 4,000 professionals take their qualifications providing transformational outcomes both for individuals and their businesses.
