Laphroaig welcomes new distillery manager

Suntory Global Spirits has appointed George Campbell as Laphroaig’s distillery manager and promoted two employees to supporting roles.

Campbell’s appointment comes as Suntory Global Spirits announced promotions for current employees Jonathan Fletcher and Emma Boyle to new Islay assistant distillery manager roles. These roles are dedicated to supporting Suntory’s distilleries on Islay: Laphroaig and Bowmore.

Campbell’s hire follows the departure of Laphroaig’s former distillery manager Barry MacAffer earlier this year. MacAffer joined Laphroaig in 2011 and was appointed to his latest position in March 2022.

Bringing more than 12 years of experience in the whisky industry, Campbell returned home to Islay to rejoin Laphroaig on 1 October.

Campbell started his career as a Laphroaig Distillery tour guide before moving on to roles at Diageo, William Grant & Sons, and most recently, Mighty Craft in Australia (owner of Kangaroo Island Distillery).

Campbell commented on his appointment: “I’m honoured to be joining the team at this exciting time. Laphroaig Distillery is a special place for me and it’s the team there that inspired me to start a career in the whisky industry when I was 21. A return to join the team again as distillery manager feels like coming home in every way.”

In line with the long-term ambitions for Laphroaig and Bowmore, Suntory will establish a new operational structure on Islay with a collaborative distillery management team.

Fletcher and Boyle, who both started their careers at the Islay sites, have been trained to operate in both distilleries. The team will be equipped to work flexibly across both sites, providing further professional and personal development opportunities.

Fletcher previously worked as a process shift operator at Bowmore, while Boyle was a seasonal tour guide at Laphroaig.

Last month, Laphroaig launched its Strong Characters series, honouring the distillery’s pioneering figures.

In June, the distillery submitted a planning application to expand production and improve its visitor experience.