The non-profit organisation Women in Irish Whiskey will officially launch at an Irish Whiskey Association-sponsored event on 8 March.
The event will take place in Roe & Co Distillery, where a new website will be revealed for the non-profit on the night.
The celebration will focus on the diverse career journeys of women working in Ireland’s whiskey industry. It will also cover the variety of opportunities open to women in the sector.
Networking
The networking event will feature a keynote panel discussion on the topic of ‘encouraging career development’.
Women from all across the industry are invited to attend, from production, sales, marketing, logistics and mixology.
The panel will consist of influential women from the industry, who will share their experiences and perspectives.
Heather Clancy and Anne-Marie Kelly are the founders of Women in Irish Whiskey.
Their aim in setting up the organisation was to support women and gender diversity within the Irish whiskey industry.
This is enacted through networking opportunities, encouraging career development, and driving change in the sector.
Increased Gender Parity
Announcing the second annual Women in Irish Whiskey networking event, Clancy and Kelly said that they were excited to welcome women in the industry.
“We are thrilled that this year’s event is all about encouraging career development,” they said.
“Attendees will get the opportunity to meet and hear from trailblazing women in Irish whiskey, whose career stories will resonate with them.”
The non-profit’s new website – www.WomenInIrishWhiskey.com – will also be officially unveiled.
The website will include a membership sign-up section, with access to a jobs board.
Eoin Ó Catháin, director of the Irish Whiskey Association, which is sponsoring the evening, said that the organisation was proud to support the event.
“Irish whiskey was once a male-dominated industry,” Ó Catháin said, “however, as our premium product is enjoyed by a broader and more diverse consumer base, the talent across all levels of our industry has too diversified.”
Ó Catháin said that the gender split in the Irish whiskey industry is currently 63% male and 37% female.
“Our ambition is for increased gender parity in the years to come,” he said, “to better reflect those who enjoy Irish whiskey today.”
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