Meet the Team

Oliver Chilton

Business Manager & Whisky Maker

Oliver has been involved in most parts of Speciality Drinks over the years, having started out in the original Whisky Exchange shop by London Bridge before being moved to head office to assist with running the Whisky Show in its early days. His palate helped secure him a role selecting casks for independent bottling – leading the way to the creation of Elixir Distillers.
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Andrew Thomson

Operations Manager

Originally from Campbeltown, Andrew left home to study chemical engineering in Glasgow and later headed to London where he started working at the Whisky Exchange shop in Covent Garden. Since 2017 he has been with Elixir Distillers, overseeing all bottling projects from start to finish. Andrew spends much of his spare time playing the bagpipes and has previously claimed the title of World Pipeband Champion.
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Katy Kennedy

Export Sales Manager

Born in Darlington but raised in Yorkshire, Katy found a love for Scotland’s spirit during her time as a student in Edinburgh, where she worked at the Whisky Experience. She moved on to a career in teaching but returned to the whisky world after several years as a language teacher in Barcelona and the UK. Fluent in French and Spanish, she is in charge of all export sales at Elixir Distillers – otherwise spending her time outdoors, preferably on a mountain.
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Julie Hamilton

Brand Ambassador

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better multitasker than our resident Glaswegian. Over the years, Julie has dedicated her time to being Chair of Glasgow Whisky Club, Director of Glasgow’s Whisky Festival and a Scotch Malt Whisky Society ambassador. As of 2019, she is Elixir Distiller’s full-time Brand Ambassador, hosting events and tastings across the country – but of course, she still runs the whisky festival in her hometown.
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Chanel Liquori

International Sales Manager

Chanel is an award-winning bartender who joins us from the sunny shores of Brooklyn by way of Australia and New Zealand. Having worked with several international drinks companies, including Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Atom Brands, Chanel brings a passion for the hospitality and spirits industry which is only surpassed by her undeniable love of Prince.
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Edel O’Keeffe

Brand Marketing Executive

Hailing from Ireland, Edel has hopped over the Irish sea to be our London-based brand marketing executive. Throughout and after her university studies in marketing and French, she whet her whiskey palette working with Pernod Ricard as a Jameson brand ambassador in their Midleton Distillery. Passionate about French language and culture, Edel has also lived in France and loves a good baguette. You’ll often find her lost in a bookshop on weekends.
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Raj ‘Mr. C’ Chavda

Creative Director

London born and bred, Raj gained his Master’s degree from Central Saint Martins and went on to work in digital advertising agencies for over 20 years. In 2004 he started consulting for Speciality Drinks, later taking on a full-time role as Creative Director. Today he’s responsible for creating visual assets and branding for all our whiskies, including the award-winning lenticular labels for The Whisky Exchange Whisky Show bottlings in 2018, and the iconic Karuizawa Geisha series. On the rare occasion that he leaves the office, Raj likes to travel the world and get closer to discovering the meaning of life.
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Mitch Wilson

Global Brand Ambassador (Black Tot Rum)

Growing up in England, Mitch started his bartending career at London's world-famous tiki bar, Trailer Happiness. Longing to take his skills abroad, he headed to Los Angeles to work at Cole’s Red Car Bar and to Australia where he worked at Sydney’s award-winning cocktail bar PS40 and ran Henrietta Supper Club, serving the local bartender community. Several flaming pineapples later, Mitch joined Plantation Rum as their brand ambassador for Asia-Pacific, before moving to Elixir Distillers to share his love of Black Tot Rum with the world.
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Cécile Lepron

Sales Executive

A Parisian native, Cécile’s hospitality studies have taken her across the world from France to Spain and China. After graduating, she initially worked for various hotels and a wine chateau in Sauternes before moving to La Maison du Whisky to be their Arran ambassador. Never content with staying put, Cécile soon packed her bags again and headed off to be our London-based brand ambassador and sales executive.
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Stephen Winch

Logistics Administrator

Knowledgeable, organised and punctual, it's no surprise that Stephen has excelled worked with some of the most prominent spirit retailers in New York City and London. As Logistics Administrator at Elixir Distillers, he's in charge of liaising with export customers and making sure that all cask management is handled correctly. Not just a whisky fan, Stephen is also passionate about real ale, wine and cooking.
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Chris Maybin

Business Development Director

Initially focused on the world of wine, Chris was introduced to whisky after moving to Paris to learn French. Since then he has worked with La Maison du Whisky – developing over 100 spirit brands for the French market – as well as Compass Box. Chris eventually moved to Speciality Drinks in 2016, where one of his key responsibilities is working with the team at Elixir Distillers to develop and grow our brands around the world.

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