The Institute of Brewing & Distilling (IBD) has the pleasure to announce that Tom Shelston has taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer, starting in this position effective 1st February 2023. Tom was preceded by Douglas Murray, IBD Interim Chief Executive Officer and Immediate Past President of the Institute, who will be continuing in the organisation as a Trustee of the Board.

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Tom brings to the IBD a wealth of experience gained across several sectors helping non-profit and membership organisations implement growth strategies based on member and audience engagement and build high-value partnerships.

With expertise in change management, audience insight and segmentation, marketing, operations and strategy, the IBD Board of Trustees has found in Tom the perfect fit to help the IBD meet its ambitious plans for growth and members engagement.

Tom has delivered successful projects for the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust among other national and global organisations, increasing their market share and commercial performance on the back of creating highly engaged membership communities.

Tom’s initial responsibilities will be to scale the IBD’s global reach reinforcing the lifelong value of their qualifications, learning and development portfolios, and membership value proposition to create a well-connected and strong community of professionals in the brewing, distilling and allied industries.

On his appointment, Tom commented, “I’m delighted to be joining the Institute of Brewing & Distilling and working with the global community of experts to increase the value across the membership base and expand our reach into new industry segments and markets”. “It is a privilege to be part of the next chapter of an organisation like the IBD with such a rich history and relevance to reinforce the membership and learning and development programmes, helping professionals and their businesses respond and adapt better to the new challenges that the fast-changing times are bringing”.

Welcoming Tom, Bhavya Mandanna, President of the IBD, said, “This is an exciting period of change for the IBD, and we are delighted that Tom is joining us to deliver our strategic goal of driving excellence in holistic professional development in an ever-changing and competitive world. Tom brings with him a wealth of experience key to unlocking the future potential of the IBD. I would like to thank Douglas Murray as Interim Chief Executive Officer, for his great work in leading the IBD through a period of significant change.”