Meet the mentee: Caris Simpson, Chivas Brothers
At 26 years of age, Caris Simpson, Chivas Brothers’ Scotch single malt global brand ambassador, is used to being met with surprise. She explains how she handles the challenge, and why being part of the OurWhisky Foundation mentorship programme has been a turning point in her career.
In her early teens, Caris Simpson had a scholarship with the British Ballet Organisation. Then, she saw her path being that of point shoes and pirouettes. Come high school, however, and a love of modern languages took over, and a degree in Modern Languages studying French and Spanish from the University of Strathclyde soon followed.
Now, as the global brand ambassador for the Chivas Brothers’ single malt portfolio, Simpson says the ‘show pony’ within her is still alive and well. “When public speaking is probably the main skill that I really have to hone in my daily role, I think it helps that I was a performer previously.”
Saying that, Simpson can’t quite believe that she feels comfortable standing in front of large groups of people. “I look at my role and I go, ‘Oh, my goodness, I've presented to this many people, daily for the last however many months, years.’ During university if you had told me that, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”
A proud Highlander, Simpson grew up with an appreciation for Scotch whisky and its contribution to her community. But before considering it an industry she could work in, she instead chased her other two – not completely disconnected – passions: fragrance and Scottish produce.
The first was fulfilled with a role at Boots during high school, where she saw firsthand the connection people had to aroma: “I just loved the way that fragrance connected people,” she reflects. “People would come to the fragrance counter going, ‘This is the perfume that I wore on my wedding day, and I'm buying it for our 25th wedding anniversary.’ I saw that there's a real emotional connection to fragrance.”
From fragrance to fine spirits: Simpson’s career has been centred on the power of aroma
Simpson then went on to work at a Scottish candle company, before noticing the Chivas Brothers’ Graduate Programme. It was the perfect combination, and with her degree, the door was wide open. “I had so many options. When I realised that I could combine my linguistic abilities with selling Scottish produce through Scotch whisky, I realised it was a match made in heaven – it just made so much sense.”
Coming full circle
Her dad was thrilled. A huge Scotch lover, the first dram he shared with his daughter was from The Glenlivet – a brand Simpson is now the global brand ambassador for.
In her role, advocacy and education are the twin pillars she revolves around. This involves a lot of hosting, often with groups of people over a period of days.
“When certain people arrive on the ground in Scotland and hear they're meeting the global brand ambassador, I don’t think they expect it to be a 26-year-old female,” she admits. “I’m met with surprise a lot of the time.”
Simpson, however, takes it in her stride. “Normally after the three days that I spend with people, I've proven that I am the brand expert and that I know across our 12 malt distilleries exactly what's going on. It’s all part of the challenge for me and something that I really take seriously and take great pride in. After I've managed to break down that wall or that barrier, there's something really satisfying about it. And normally, I start the trip with a handshake and I end it with a hug.”
Giving back: Simpson hopes to one day be a mentor for young people in whisky
She’s taken it so much in her stride that she’s been trusted twice with the responsibility of being master of ceremonies for the Chivas Brothers company-wide meetings, first online during Covid, and second in person in front of an 1,800-strong audience of her peers and colleagues. “It was an incredible opportunity for me to get up and stand in front of our company and really cement myself as the ambassador here in Scotland. Affiliates came from all over and I was tying the event together and presenting the entire day – it was just unbelievable.”
OurWhisky Mentorship
When Simpson applied for the OurWhisky Foundation Mentorship at the end of 2022, she was coming to the end of her graduate programme and not sure what opportunities were out there for her. She saw it as an opportunity to connect with people outside Chivas Brothers.
“I think when you work for a big organisation, you want to step outside and understand and think what you could do differently.”
When she joined the mentorship in January 2023, she was paired with Daryl Haldane, private client director at Beam Suntory. Their conversations verged towards the rare whisky and auction markets – something Simpson is increasingly becoming interested in. “It was incredible to have the insight of such an expert that has worked with an industry for many years and worked within different companies as well – to be able to really dive into his insight.”
The Power Room was also instrumental for Simpson: “How often do you look inside yourself and go, ‘How do I work? How am I being perceived? How can I do things differently?’” She also highlights how valuable it was being part of a group of 50 women across the industry: “The WhatsApp group chat is life,” she laughs. “I just know that there's going to be either great advice, great support, or just, you know, chat about new products or something exciting that somebody has done or achieved, and it really is uplifting to be a part of that.”
Giving back
Simpson may only be a few years into her career, but she already wants to use her experience to give back to future starters in the whisky industry.
“I want to provide that mentorship for people in the future. It’s very early days, but to be able to give back in years to come with my experience is going to be something that I'll cherish and very much value.”
She also wants to express that anyone wondering whether or not whisky is for them has absolutely nothing to lose, but ‘everything to gain’. “If you're thinking, ‘Oh, I'm not good enough, or, oh, I don't quite know if this is for me,’ those are the reasons you should apply for the Mentorship Programme. The work you do [at the Foundation] is invaluable.”
Her desire to show more people the opportunities in whisky is already in action, as Simpson is part of the Developing Young Workforce (DYW) strategy, giving talks to high school children about her language learning journey and career to show them the possibilities they have in front of them. There is a revelatory moment as she explains this part of her role: “I suppose that’s the start of mentorship, isn’t it?”
Discover more about the OurWhisky Foundation’s Mentorship Programme.
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