Meet The Team

"THERE'S A MAGIC IN JURA - AND YOU FIND IT IN THE PEOPLE".

Kirsty Sligo

Distillery Manager

Kirsty Sligo is Jura’s Distillery Manager and is the first female Distillery Manager in the history of our brand. Before joining Jura, Kirsty was Distillery Manager for another island single malt whisky, running the show at Talisker on the Isle of Skye. Previous to that Kirsty also held roles for well-known drinks brand Bacardi as well as Highland Spring Water.

Kirsty is originally from East Lothian, just outside Edinburgh and is incredibly passionate about the whisky industry. She said that hen the chance came up to join the team as Jura’s Distillery Manager, she just couldn’t wait to get started:

“Jura is such an iconic whisky, and I am beyond delighted to move to this beautiful island to take on this role.”

Kirstie McCallum

Master Whisky Maker

Kirstie began her career with Port Dundas Distillery as a Laboratory Analyst before moving to Chivas Brothers as a Quality Analyst. Her excellent palate and nose were soon recognised, leading to a new position managing the laboratory.

Roles at Allied Distillers followed before Kirstie joined Burns Stewart Distillers as a Blender. She went on to successful roles at Distell and Halewood as Master Blender.

In 2023, Kirstie joined the team at Whyte & Mackay, where she leads the whisky making team. Kirstie oversees every expression that passes through the whisky making room. Known for her down-to-earth personality, passion and knowledge, Kirstie is constantly in great demand to share her experiences and expertise at tastings and events across the world.

Joe Ricketts

Blender

Joe initially managed retail and event operations for La Maison Du Whisky in Singapore, where he nurtured his own love for whisky. Working directly with customers, Joe heard first-hand their tastes and interests, introducing them to a wide range of whiskies and different spirits

With a solid understanding of the industry and passion for flavour, Joe moved back the UK and joined a start-up distillery in London specialising in whisky and gin. From there, he joined a second distillery, working across different categories including modern liqueurs and botanical spirits.

Keen to move solely into whisky, Joe joined Whyte & Mackay in 2020. As part of the blend team at Whyte & Mackay, Joe primarily works with Jura, while supporting the company’s wider distillery portfolio. Joe’s aim is to create approachable and compelling whisky for people to enjoy, which is demonstrable in his creative approach to recipe development.

Kirsty Wright

Brand Home Manager

Originally from the neighbouring island of Islay, Kirsty has been working within the whisky industry for seven years. She started her career on Islay, where she still lives with her daughter April.

Kirsty started as a seasonal guide and has progressed her career through the years in visitor experience roles before coming to Whyte & Mackay to be Jura's brand home manager.

Visitor experience has always been where Kirsty's passion lies, as she enjoys creating special experiences for her guests and mentoring her team to deliver the best possible experience for everyone who visits our island.

Andrew Lennie

Single Malt Specialist

Andrew joined our team in 2019 and works as the Global Single Malt Specialist for Jura. With a background in bartending and international cocktail competitions, he brings a wealth of industry expertise to his role.

Andrew is dedicated to developing and sharing the rich heritage and stories of Jura across the world. In 2024, he was honoured as Scotland’s Global Whisky Ambassador of the Year by Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky awards.