Friday Jan 20, 2023
Speaking Truth to Power w/ James Pannett of William Grant & Sons
Adam Dorrell is joined today by James Pannett - Commercial Director of the UK family-owned distillery group William Grant & Sons. You’ll know the brands: leading whiskies like Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Tullamore, the distinctive Hendricks Gin (Adam’s choice of drink for the podcast), and newer brands like Discarded. His background includes Mars and Molson Coors.
James talks about how joint business plans should not be just fiction - or a nice piece of paper that gets ignored. He highlights the importance of Speaking Truth to Power - making sure that the buyer wins just as much as the seller. He describes how he aims for the “Triple Win” and how he is addressing the brand's aims are just as important as “Don’t screw up the basics”.
This is a fascinating dive into the workings of a well-known beverage company, and how taking into account the experience of the channel is all important.