The Upper Warden
Lorne mackillop
After graduating from London University in 1977, Lorne joined the wine trade, having worked during university vacations for André Simon Wines in Belgravia. Starting at the bottom rung of the Company, he rose to become Branch Manager of the Knightsbridge Branch, and then the Mayfair branch. He joined the Malmaison Wine Club in 1983 and, in 1984, became the world’s youngest Master of Wine. He served as a Councillor of the Institute of Masters of Wine in 1986 and also became the Institute’s representative trustee on the WSET from 1989-1993.
Lorne remained in the restaurant and wine trade with City Restaurants Plc and First Fine Wine (London) Plc until May 1993, when he joined Angus Dundee Distillers Plc – where he remains to this day. At Angus Dundee, he works in a commercial role responsible for the exports to North America, Scandinavia, parts of Europe, Australasia, and other diverse territories, along with the UK Duty-Free market. He also has a non-commercial role as the Master Blender (palate) of the Angus Dundee group, and the selector of single casks behind the “Mackillop’s Choice”, an Independent Bottler brand.
He joined the Livery in November 2010 and, until recently, chaired the Industry Committee (now renamed the Industry and Membership Committee), before passing the reins to Trevor Stirling. He is looking forward to serving the Livery in his new role as Renter Warden, assisting the new Master in these very challenging times.
The Middle Warden
nick carr
Nick was born in Hessle, East Yorkshire. After gaining a BSc in Industrial Technology, he went to the US as a post-graduate research assistant, where he completed an MBA in Marketing. This led to a life-long career in the drinks industry, starting as a brand manager with Bass Plc. Subsequent roles included global and local marketing and commercial positions with IDV, Seagram and Diageo.
Nick’s experience includes strategic planning manager for Europe, marketing director roles in Greece, Spain and Japan, regional VP of marketing for Asia Pacific, global Scotch portfolio director, global malts director, and anti-counterfeit and global pricing director at Diageo. Over this time, he has worked with many brands, including Smirnoff, Malibu, “J&B”, Baileys, Archers, Chivas and Martell, as well as innovations including The Singleton, Windsor 17, Buchanan’s, Talisker and Johnnie Walker Double Black.
More recently, Nick has brought his experience to effect as a marketing consultant to clients including the Heathrow Airport and Heathrow Express businesses, Twinings, Proximo (Cuervo Tequila) and Schweppes.
Nick and his wife Louise live in London and have one son, Thomas. A keen dinghy sailor and car enthusiast, Nick is secretary of the Distillers’ Car Club, sits on the Vocational Training and Education Committee and the Industry and Membership Committee, and is delighted to become Middle Warden.
The Renter Warden
daniel szor
Born in New York City, Daniel’s first career in foreign exchange trading and investment management spanned nearly 30 years and took him to Paris for over 10 years and then to the UK, where he has lived since 2006.
It was during his time in France that Daniel was first bitten by the whisky bug, his passion fuelled by regular tasting events and trips to distilleries across Scotland.
In 2012 Daniel gazed out the window of the North Cotswolds farmhouse he and his London-born wife Katia had bought as a weekend bolthole, and he was transfixed by a field of spring barley swaying in the breeze. His thoughts naturally turned to whisky, and he decided to be the first person to make a Cotswolds single malt, using local grain.
The Cotswolds Distillery is now in its 9th year, producing award-winning single malt whisky and other “Outstanding Natural Spirits” including its much-loved Cotswolds Dry Gin. Over 100,000 visitors come to the distillery and its local shops every year, and the brand is now distributed nationally and in over 35 countries.
Daniel joined the livery in 2016 having been introduced to the WCD via the Gin Guild, of which he has been a board member for the past several years. Daniel also sits on the board of the Wine & Spirits Trade Association and is vice-chairman of the newly-formed English Whisky Guild, representing the exciting new category of English Whisky with over 40 whisky distilleries in England now in some stage of production or planning.
Daniel and Katia, who is a practising consultant neurologist, live with their daughter Emily in an old barn which is 3 miles from the distillery. Daniel has two older sons, Henry and Alex, who live in New York City.
