Meet the mentee: Hannah Mitchell, Arbikie Distillery
When Hannah Mitchell joined the Atonia Programme in 2024, she was ready for a new challenge in her whisky journey. Now UK sales manager for Arbikie, she explains how her time on the programme helped her find her voice and the confidence she needed to ask for more in her career.
OurWhisky Foundation: Hi Hannah! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hannah Mitchell: I live in the best city in the world in my opinion: Edinburgh. I grew up in the city’s port district of Leith which is now a beautiful area full of amazing bars, restaurants and independent shops. Outside of work, I love my garden especially when I manage to grow something. I also train four to five times a week with my body building coach - I hope to get on stage in future to compete.
OWF: What does your role entail?
HM: I’m the UK sales manager at Arbikie Distillery, responsible for leading our UK sales team, which includes brand ambassadors in London and Edinburgh, as well as our full-time sales managers. I report directly to the company owner and play a key role in shaping the brand’s strategy for the year ahead.
This involves strengthening relationships with our UK routes to market, leveraging our ambassadors to deliver events and training, and collaborating with the finance team to set budgets. I also work closely with our European and US teams to ensure our activations are aligned globally.
OWF: Why did you apply for the OurWhisky Foundation Atonia Programme?
HM: I applied during my time working in wholesale. I felt that I wasn’t being challenged in the right way, and I knew I had skills that could really make a difference, but I needed guidance and clarity from a mentor that could guide me.
“I feel empowered to speak up. I’m not quiet about showing I know what’s best or making a decision.”
OWF: What were your thoughts on your future career when you were growing up?
HM: In primary school, I dreamed of going to university - I couldn’t wait to grow up. I didn’t ever think past the point of getting to university but then had to start thinking which direction my career would go in.
After completing my master’s degree in Physics, I was honestly stuck, and the industry didn’t interest me. It was only when I began studying towards my master’s in Brewing and Distilling that I felt I had a clear path, and the drinks industry was calling.
OWF: When did your love of whisky begin and why?
HM: My love for whisky really began when I worked for The Port of Leith Distillery. At the beginning, we were a start-up company, with a small team and a dream of building a whisky distillery in Leith, which was my home. We started to work out how we could disrupt the whisky scene, by trialling various yeast strains to pinpoint unique flavours.
I loved some of the blind tastings we did to grow our knowledge, and I loved being at the centre of such an exciting project. It’s fun to now visit the bar for a cocktail and remember the naked girders, steel and exposed wiring from my first visits to the site.
Clarity, guidance and a challenge: Hannah Mitchell came to the Atonia Programme ready for a change in her approach to her role in whisky.
OWF: What were the biggest challenges for you in progressing?
HM: In my last role, I worked in sales for a largely London-focused business, although I was based in Edinburgh. The challenge for me was to grow our Northern region but I was limited since I was largely on my own managing a large area.
I also had no marketing support or budget. I struggled to prove why that support was needed and so I looked to increase my commercial skills through the OurWhisky Foundation.
OWF: How did you work with your mentor to overcome these?
HM: I was partnered with Kirsty Taylor, the then commercial director for the Lakes Distillery. She had had a brilliant career and was commercially strong. We worked together to build out a plan for the Northern region and how I could make the biggest impact with limited time and tools.
She also explained how to put together costings for extra departmental heads and how to create a budget needed to grow the business.
OWF: What advice would you give someone applying for or starting the programme?
HM: My advice would be to embrace every opportunity that comes your way and make the most of it. This programme is a chance to build on your strengths, identify areas for improvement and seek out the right support to grow.
It’s also an incredible opportunity to develop a strong professional network and even lasting friendships so invest time in nurturing those relationships.
Conquering her confidence: Mitchell is no longer afraid to ask what she wants from her career.
OWF: What was your favourite part of the programme?
HM: Building a lovely network of women in the industry. We’re now close friends and have been away together on a few trips, including a very memorable trip to Islay - I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in a long time!
OWF: What has been your biggest win during the Atonia Programme?
HM: The increase in confidence I gained to speak up and be heard and to be able to articulate exactly what I wanted in my career. I’m now in a position I am valued in and used to the best of my abilities.
OWF: How has this experience rewired how you feel about being a woman in this industry?
HM: I feel empowered to speak up. I’m not quiet about showing I know what’s best or making a decision.
“This programme has… taught me the value of reflection… As a result, I’m better equipped to support and guide others.”
OWF: How has this programme empowered you to empower others?
HM: This programme has given me the confidence and voice to share both my strengths and my areas for growth. It taught me the value of reflection, taking a step back to assess situations before reacting, which has strengthened my emotional intelligence. As a result, I’m better equipped to support and guide others, creating a positive and empowering environment around me.
OWF: What are you working on at the moment?
HM: I joined the business in June 2025 [having previously worked as a national account manager for Speciality Drinks], and I realised we don’t have strong enough relationships with our routes to market in the UK; my first goal is to build on these. Then I will look at how we can support these through incentives or events.
I am also working on events planning for 2025, including the Evolutions Trade Event and the Whisky Show 2025, where we will showcase our core rye releases for the first time. My projects span our wide portfolio of products so it’s something new every day which I love.
OWF: What are your hopes for the future for women working in whisky?
HM: I hope to see a future where the path for women in whisky is not only easier but truly equitable. Progress depends on strong allyship, and I hope men in the industry take a more active role, using their voices to call out the specific challenges we face and advocating for real change for the future.
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