Annual Report 2025 - People

This year, Edrington's HR team has supported our people through external challenges and organisational change around the world.

As a result of our strategic investments in the sherry cask supply chain, we have welcomed new colleagues in Spain. At the same time, we have supported our teams through complex transitions, including the sale of The Famous Grouse and Naked Malt brands. Throughout these changes, we have focused on what makes the difference: providing career opportunities for our colleagues, investing in leadership development and maintaining focus on our unique culture.

While recruitment has significantly slowed compared with recent years, we facilitated a large number of internal talent moves and exceeded our target of filling over 50 percent of roles with internal candidates.  

Our commitment to leadership development has continued with two new programmes, the Frontline Manager programme for operational colleagues and Elevate, focused on our mid-level managers. These complement our existing Senior Leadership Programme. The company also offers Leadership Essentials and Leading Self-Sprints, which are open to all colleagues who want to develop a variety of valuable skills. 

Edrington's culture is unique and remains the cornerstone of our business. This year's engagement survey achieved a high participation rate and an engagement score just below our top quartile ambition. The survey is an important listening tool, and its findings drive local action plans around the world.

I am pleased that 81 percent of colleagues agree that Edrington is an open workplace that is accepting of individual differences. We have continued to narrow our gender pay gap and we have again exceeded our target of senior female leaders in the business.

In the coming year, our HR priorities will be to further strengthen some of our core processes, such as continuous performance management and succession planning. We will also focus on leadership development, career opportunities, talent moves, and, above all, maintaining Edrington's great culture.