Raymond G. Anderson is a retired brewers’ chemist and an active brewing historian. He has been involved with breweries in one way or another since 1972 when he left the University of Newcastle upon Tyne with a PhD in microbiological chemistry and went to work at the Brewing Industry Research Foundation in Surrey. He was formerly the head of research and development for Allied Breweries, one of the now defunct “Big Six” UK brewers. He is the author of more than 100 publications discoursing on science, technology, brewing, and history in various combinations. He is a fellow of three UK professional societies and president of the Brewery History Society since 2002.
Zane C. Barnes is a fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) and a 1973 graduate in brewing science from Heriot-Watt University. He has extensive brewing experience throughout the United Kingdom and has also worked for 10 years in Trinidad and Tobago, South Australia, and the United States. Currently, he is the senior technical brewer at the Molson Coors Brewing Company (Burton) responsible for delivering general employee engagement with beer and brewing, but specifically to support the attainment of brewing and packaging qualifications (IBD). He has been a lecturer in brewing science at Heriot-Watt University and Nottingham University. He is also an IBD examiner and an industrial fellow of the University of Nottingham.
Patrick Charlton is a farmer’s son, which led him to study animal science at the University of Nottingham, graduating in 1987. He joined the global agribusiness Alltech in 1991, and for the last 27 years has worked with farmers, feed manufacturers, and other agribusinesses around the world, living in South Africa and Canada as well as the United Kingdom. During his time in Canada, he was part of the first group of Alltech employees to join the Heriot-Watt University distance learning masters in brewing and distilling degree, graduating with distinction in 2006. As well as its animal nutrition business, today Alltech owns several craft breweries and distilleries allowing Charlton to enjoy two of his greatest passions, farming and beer, while working for the same company.
Mark Coffman is the master distiller/chief engineer for Alltech. Over the past 30 years, he has led the design, construction, commissioning, startup, and operation of more than 16 manufacturing facilities around the world. He is presently leading a major expansion of Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company.
Andrew Dagnan is a safety and environmental professional, with experience in multiple industries, including brewing. Andrew is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) with a BS in environmental health sciences from East Tennessee State University. He has served as the chair of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) Brewery Safety Committee, helping to promote safe work practices in the brewing industry by providing assistance and technical resources.
Brian Eaton is from the Isle of Man and is currently self-employed in his company “BE Inspired,” providing technical consultancy and training to the brewing and distilling industries. An honors chemical engineering graduate, he took an MSc in malting and brewing science under Professor James Hough. He worked for Allied Breweries for 30 years in a variety of roles in engineering, production, and packaging before taking the post of head brewer at the Alloa Lager Brewery, Scotland, in 1985. In 1998, he moved to Joshua Tetley’s Brewery, Leeds, as head brewer and chief engineer before joining the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD), Heriot-Watt University, in January 2001 as the course director for the brewing and distilling undergraduate and postgraduate courses until July 2009. He is a committee member and treasurer of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling’s Scottish section.
Russell Falconer graduated from Leeds University, UK, in 1984 with a degree in biotechnology. He was recruited by Grand Metropolitan Brewing at the Stag Brewery, London, and brewed there for 25 years. During this time, ownership changed from Fosters, Courage, S&N, Anheuser-Busch, and finally to AB InBev. In 2010, he joined Steiner Hops Ltd, the UK subsidiary of the Hopsteiner Group, and is currently its managing director. In 1992, he became a master brewer and was elected a fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD).
Annie E. Hill is associate professor and program director for the MSc/postgraduate diploma in brewing and distilling by distance learning at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Annie’s research interests include microbial spoilage of alcoholic beverages and detection of spoilage organisms in breweries/distilleries—in particular, investigation of anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria. Her recent activities have focused on distilling, including product design and process improvement. Formation of the Scottish Craft Distillers Association and subsequent funding from Interface Food and Drink have enabled research on novel Scottish botanicals and fermentation and distillation of Scottish fruits.
Julie Kellershohn holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School in the United States. She has extensive professional and academic experience in the area of marketing and marketing research. She worked for more than 15 years for a number of multinational companies in the area of pharmaceuticals, food, and beverages. She is currently an assistant professor, teaching marketing research, marketing strategy, and consumer behavior at Ryerson University in Toronto.
Jim Kuhr is brewmaster and director of operations for the Matt Brewing Company in Utica, NY, and has been in the industry since 1984. Jim graduated from Saginaw Valley State University with a bachelor’s degree in business, specializing in production and inventory control. He founded the Brewery Safety Committee for the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) and has served on its executive committee and as the MBAA president in 2015–2016. One of Jim’s prime responsibilities at Matt Brewing is to manage the safety program and safety culture.
James W. Larson is senior process engineer at Alltech, Inc. He has worked as a chemical engineer in breweries, distilleries, and corn-ethanol plants throughout the United States and has been responsible for the installation of fermentation equipment and other process systems in Brazil, Serbia, Belgium, Mexico, and Canada, as well as the United States. Before joining Alltech, he worked in both engineering and production functions in the brewing industry and taught at a prominent US brewing school. He holds an MSc in chemical engineering and an MSc in brewing and distilling from the Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, and is an instructor at the Alltech Brewing and Distilling Academy.
T. Pearse Lyons is a “scientist, salesman, marketer, and entrepreneur” all rolled into one and is widely regarded in the agribusiness sector as an innovator and industry leader. He is the founder, CEO, and president of Alltech, a top-ten animal health biotechnology company. Alltech employs more than 4700 people and conducts business in 128 countries with annual sales in excess of US $2 billion. He is also the owner of Alltech’s Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company, which includes a line of beers and spirits that are exported globally, as well as the Pearse Lyons Distillery, which is opening in the summer of 2017 in Dublin. His doctoral degree is from the British School of Malting and Brewing (University of Birmingham, England), and in recognition for his contributions to science and industry he has been awarded a number of honorary doctorates, including one from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. He has authored more than 20 books and numerous research papers in scientific journals on yeast and fermentation.
Michaela Miedl-Appelbee, originally from Austria, holds a Master’s degree in brewing and beverage technology from the Technical University of Munich/Weihenstephan and a PhD in brewing from Heriot-Watt University, Scotland. She was awarded the IBD “Young Brewer of the Year Award” in 2008 and the “IBD Cambridge Prize” in 2010 for outstanding academic achievements. After internships and academic exchange programs at UC Davis (California), Griffith University, and CUB (Australia), she started her industry career at Molson Coors as innovation manager and then Europe export supply chain lead before moving to Switzerland for SABMiller Europe to lead the regional technical innovation agenda. In January 2017, she joined AB InBev as global director in product technology development.
Scott Millbower is a certified safety professional with 31 years of experience in occupational safety and health, a hearing conservationist, an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outreach trainer in general industry/construction courses and has a specialty in ergonomics. He is self-employed, assisting companies in developing, improving, and sustaining health and safety programs. He has been inspected by OSHA, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and the US EPA. He is a founding member of the Mohawk Valley Safety Professional’s Consortium (MVSPC), which twice signed an alliance with OSHA, and sits on the board of the Mohawk Valley Environmental Information Exchange (MVEIE).
Sir Geoff H. Palmer is an emeritus professor in brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University. He migrated to London from Jamaica in 1955. He gained an honors degree in botany from Leicester University in 1964, a PhD from Edinburgh University in 1967, and a doctor of science degree from the Heriot-Watt University in 1983. He worked at the Brewing Research Foundation from 1968 to 1977 and at Heriot-Watt University from 1977 until his retirement in 2005. His research work on barley, malt, and sorghum produced the abrasion process, scanning electron microscopic descriptions and chemical analyses of endosperm structure, the asymmetric pattern of endosperm modification, concepts regarding average analysis and factors that limit endosperm modification (endosperm compaction), and factors that promote endosperm modification (enzyme distribution and action). He has received various honorary doctorate degrees, was an early recipient of the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) Distinguished Research Award, and is one of the original fellows of the Institute of Brewing.
Charlie Papazian is the founder and past-president of the American Homebrewers Association (1978) and Brewers Association (USA). He speaks and writes about the beer and brewing industry at numerous conferences, events, and in many publications throughout the world. Charlie has five bestselling books and his Complete Joy of Homebrewing has sold more than 1.3 million copies worldwide. He is also known for founding and continuing his work with the World Beer Cup, the Great American Beer Festival, Craft Brewers Conference, BrewExpo America, Brewers Publications, CraftBeer.com, and the magazines Zymurgy and The New Brewer.
Deborah Parker manages the sensory laboratory of Marketing Sciences Unlimited, which specializes in the profiling and reformulation of consumer goods and foods. As a sensory scientist for more than 15 years, she uses her knowledge to generate and deliver high-quality value-added sensory information. She has an honors degree in biochemistry, a doctorate in brewing science from Heriot-Watt University, and a postgraduate certificate in sensory science, and is an Institute of Food Science and Technology accredited trainer. She has extensive experience and has worked with many companies globally. She is one of the few women who are accredited as a Beer Academy sommelier. She and her sensory team have been featured on several BBC television news and consumer interest programs, including Test House, Watch Dog, and Food Unwrapped.
Michael Partridge graduated from Heriot-Watt University in 1978 and became a diploma member of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) in 1984. In 1995, he became a member of the IBD examinations committee acting as examiner and moderator of the Diploma Master Brewer 3 Packaging qualification. His career in the brewing and spirits industries spans more than 35 years during which he has developed a wide knowledge of all types of packaging and operational processes necessary to efficiently maintain product quality and safety.
George Philliskirk is a former director and CEO of the Beer Academy, an educational trust dedicated to helping people understand and appreciate beer. After completing a PhD on yeast research at Birmingham University’s Brewing School in the mid-1970s, he has spent almost all his working life in the brewing industry. Before joining the Beer Academy in 2004, he was head of Carlsberg’s UK Technical Department. He is a fellow of the Institute of Brewing (IBD), a past chairman of the board of examiners of the IBD, and an external examiner for the brewing degrees at Heriot-Watt University. He has lectured for the IBD, the Beer Academy, and the Scandinavian Brewing School. He is a member of the British Guild of Beer writers and the advisory board of the Oxford Companion to Beer. In 2015, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Independent Brewers (SIBA) for “outstanding contribution to the UK brewing industry.”
Fergus G. Priest is a professor emeritus of microbiology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, where he was head of life sciences (2001–2007) and a member of the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD). He was chief editor of FEMS Microbiology Letters (1997–2002) and publications manager for the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (2005–2011). His research focused on the taxonomy and physiology of bacteria in beverage fermentations. He was awarded the Bergey Medal in 2008 in “recognition of distinguished achievements in bacterial taxonomy.”
Trevor Roberts is a 1969 graduate of Nottingham University. He obtained an MSc in brewing science from Birmingham University in 1973 and the diploma of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) the following year. For the first 20 years of his career, he worked for a number of UK breweries in a variety of senior posts, finally as a head brewer and director of a large regional brewery. In 1993, he joined the UK subsidiary of one of the world’s largest, international hop growing, processing, and trading groups, S.S. Steiner, Inc. He became managing director of Steiner Hops Ltd, based in the United Kingdom, retiring in 2013. He is a fellow of the IBD.
David S. Ryder has recently retired from MillerCoors LLC where he was vice-president of brewing, research, innovation, and quality. A native of England, he obtained his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from the University of London and subsequently received his PhD in biochemistry from the University of Cape Town in Cape Town, South Africa, and the University of Brussels, Belgium. He began his brewing career in England at Associated British Maltsters. He then joined the South African Breweries Beer Division in South Africa, Artois Breweries, S.A. in Belgium, and J. E. Siebel Sons’ Co. Inc. in Chicago, Illinois, before joining Miller Brewing Company (now MillerCoors) in Milwaukee in 1992, where he remained until his retirement in December 2015. He is a past-president of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD), past-chairman of their international section and a fellow of the IBD. He is past-president of the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) and is also a member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA). He is a member of the Brewing Science Group of the European Brewery Convention (EBC), where he was past-chairman of a subgroup for studying immobilized cells and emerging fermentation systems. He is current chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center and is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, in the Department of Food Science.
James Stricker is the safety manager of the Odell Brewing Company, Ft. Collins, CO, and a member of the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) Safety Committee. Jim has worked with brewery-specific safety for the past eight years. He is OSHA 30-hour and 10-hour certified and holds certificates in specific safety programs including hazard communication, personal protective equipment, hearing conservation, and many others. He is also a certified powered industrial trucks/forklift trainer and a first aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)/automated external defibrillator (AED) instructor via the American Heart Association.
David G. Taylor has many years of experience in production, quality assurance, and product development in UK brewing and has practical experience in the area of “production under license” for a number of international brewing companies. He is well known on the international brewing conference and symposium scene and has published and lectured worldwide on a variety of brewing technology topics. He was elected a fellow of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) in 1995 and was the institute’s deputy president from 2002 to 2004. He was chairman of the institute’s board of examiners from 2004 to 2011. He has been a frequent contributor to the IBD’s training program and, although now retired, still maintains an active interest in the industry’s research and development activities and, especially, in education and training initiatives.
Frank Vriesekoop is a senior lecturer in food biotechnology at Harper Adams University in the United Kingdom. He specializes in brewing and associated technologies. He began his career as a baker and subsequently concentrated on a range of biotechnologies in the food industry. After obtaining his PhD in yeast physiology from the University of Melbourne, he joined the food and brewing group of the (now) Federation University in Australia. In the past, he was employed at the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling (ICBD) at Heriot-Watt University, and he has been involved in malting, brewing, and distilling education in a number of countries. His current brewing-related research and interests focus on topics that can provide improvements and clarity in production processes and training opportunities.