Say hello 👋 to Caspar MacRae, CEO & President at The Glenmorangie Company, and this week’s incredible #IndustryInspiration!
Caspar’s career has been driven by curiosity and passion, starting out as a Whisky Brand Ambassador, ultimately leading to his current role as the CEO at The Glenmorangie Company. Caspar shares, “Glenmorangie was my Dad’s favourite single malt and Dr. Bill Lumsden was one of my first industry heroes – so I feel very privileged and fortunate to have this role.”
Offering insight into his role as CEO, Caspar explains, “When I first started as an Ambassador, I saw the CEO as the person who gets to do what they want with a brand and company. Now that I find myself in that position, I realise that it’s my job to be in service of the 300+ talented people who work here. The effort they put in, the passion they have, and the creativity they bring – it’s my role to ensure what they do is directed in a way that makes the brands successful, and means the team have the growth and personal development opportunities they deserve.”
Speaking on his love for the brand, Caspar shares, “People – behind every single bottle of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg stands a community of craftspeople, creatives and team members united behind a purpose of creating and sharing great whisky experiences. In many cases their families have been doing this for generations.
“The way that they take care of each other, strive to get better and celebrate each other’s success – it’s infectious.”
The future looks bright for Caspar as he shares his short and long-term goals, “We have ambitious goals! We want Glenmorangie to be the most delicious and inventive whisky in the world. We want Ardbeg to be recognised as the best smoky whisky in the world. We would like our company to be the best place to work in Scotland.
“It’s a competitive world, so those goal posts will keep moving, but that’s the exciting challenge and we need to continue to stretch ourselves to get there.”
To conclude, Caspar shares some advice to fellow hospitality professionals, “I think that customer-facing roles are the best possible ‘training ground’ for future industry leaders. You understand the realities of how consumers learn, choose and enjoy our brands. You understand the challenges of our hospitality trade partners.
“When I took myself to business school I was so much better equipped to match theory with real world experience thanks to my time as an ambassador. So realise that wherever you are in your career, there is a lot to learn, but don’t discount the unique value of what you already understand!”
We congratulate Caspar on his incredible achievements in the industry and wish him continues success in the future!