Gin Guild appoints two new directors

By Oliver Catchpole

Published: 25 November, 2025

The not-for-profit membership body for the gin industry, The Gin Guild, has appointed two new directors – Sophie Best and Andrew Parsons (both pictured) – to its board.

Best, who is director at William Grant & Sons’ Silent Pool Distillery and Parsons, who is master distiller and co-founder of The Sky Wave Distilling Company, join current board members Dr Anne Brock, Kathy Caton MBE, Jim Long, Charles Maxwell and Martin Riley, along with chairman Christopher Hayman.

The Guild, which recently exceeded 600 members, said the new board members would support its twin aims – uniting the global gin community and advocating for excellence in the sector.

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Speaking on her appointment, Best said: “It’s a real honour to join The Gin Guild Board and to contribute to an organisation that brings so many passionate, like-minded people together.

“Being part of the Guild has been a unique and rewarding experience. I’m looking forward to supporting the Guild’s work in championing the category, driving meaningful collaboration, and helping to create even more pathways for learning and growth in the years to come.”

Meanwhile, Parsons added that “it’s an honour and a privilege to be invited to join The Gin Guild Board and to work alongside such respected figures from the industry.

“Being a member of the Guild has been hugely rewarding, both personally and for the growth of Sky Wave. It’s an incredibly supportive community and I see this role as an opportunity to give something back.”

Their appointments come just after Dan Szor, a former Gin Guild director (and founder of The Cotswold Distillery) became Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers on 20 November.

Pal Gleed, director general at the Gin Guild, welcomed the new directors and celebrated Szor’s new role, noting that their contributions will "further strengthen the Guild’s work in supporting the global gin community".

The Gin Guild represents the gin industry as a whole, working to promote the category around the world, with the support of what it calls the four major distilling companies – Bacardi, Diageo, William Grant and Sons and Chivas Brothers.

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