The opportunity you've been waiting for
Old Pulteney. Balblair. anCnoc. Speyburn. Hankey Bannister. International Beverage builds spirits brands that sell in more than 80 countries, and it has been adding to the portfolio with recent moves into Cognac and New Zealand.
The technology foundations are in place: a new SAP cloud platform, a highly automated BI capability and a refreshed help desk. As Technology Director, you'll sit at the global top table and share accountability for what the business does with them next.
How you'll make your mark
Reporting to the Chief Spirits International, you'll own technology strategy, transformation, architecture, data, cybersecurity and governance across the group. Your team of around 12 supports roughly 600 users and 74 legal entities.
It spans four areas: ERP and SAP, IT operations and cybersecurity, business intelligence, and a project management office.
Key deliverables
- Shape an integrated technology, data and AI strategy, and turn it into investment priorities, roadmaps and measurable outcomes.
- Prioritise a busy portfolio of projects by business value, and make the trade-offs stick across brands and markets.
- Set measurable standards for service management and cybersecurity, using frameworks such as ITIL, and coach the team to meet them.
- Build business-led governance for demand, investment and benefits realisation, with business sponsors owning the outcomes.
- Take strategic ownership of the application landscape, including SAP, Microsoft 365 and Dynamics.
- Lead the responsible adoption of AI and automation, keeping a close eye on cost and value.
- Decide how the function grows, including where business analysis and process improvement capability should sit.
- Manage a technology budget of around £3m opex and £2m capex.
- Develop the team with clear accountabilities, objectives and succession plans.
- Support the Chief Spirits International on wider group projects, including acquisitions and integrations.
What you bring
- Senior leadership as an IT or Technology Director in a business of comparable scale and international spread.
- A broad, generalist grasp of enterprise technology, cloud, integration, data, cybersecurity and AI.
- The technical depth to challenge suppliers and specialists with confidence, and to spot when an answer doesn't add up.
- A track record of delivering business change, including ERP-enabled transformation across several geographies.
- Sound commercial judgement across budgeting, investment appraisal, licensing and supplier management.
- A consensus-building style. You win people over with clarity and trust, and you handle senior politics across countries and cultures with ease.
- SAP, FMCG, supply chain or automation experience will all count in your favour. SAP especially.
What's in it for you
- Competitive salary, with a car allowance and benefits
- Hybrid working, with at least two days a week on site at the Airdrie headquarters, near Glasgow.
- A seat on the global leadership team, with real influence over group transformation.
- An annual group conference in Thailand. Any other international travel is your call.
- Notice periods of three to six months can be accommodated.
- A focused process, with first interviews from mid-November.
A bit more about International Beverage
International Beverage is the international arm of ThaiBev, one of Southeast Asia's largest drinks companies. Its Scotch whisky business, Inver House Distillers, has been based in Airdrie since 1964.
The portfolio spans Scotch whisky, gin, Cognac and New Zealand spirits, with Larsen Cognac and Cardrona Distillery both joining in 2023.
The current Technology Director moves on at the end of the year, leaving a modernised platform and a settled team. The business now wants a leader to take it to the next stage.
Denholm's take
The heavy lifting on systems has been done. What this business needs now is someone who can set the standard, choose the right priorities and bring a global leadership team along with them.
The seat at the top table is real, and the business has been clear that finding the right person matters more than hitting a date.
Curious? Let's have a confidential conversation. Contact [consultant name] at Denholm Associates on [phone] or [email].
