Meet Our New Advisory Board
2024 is a bit of a ‘pause and review’ year for Women On Tap CIC. In the seven years we’ve been doing what we do, so much has changed - and yet many things that shoud have changed, have not.
Securing finance to sustain our social enterprise on a year-by-year basis has become increasingly difficult. The new Dea Latis Gender Pint Gap: Revisited report presents evidence that the gender gap in beer is as huge as ever, and the latest annual SIBA report notes that there has yet again been no overall increase in the number of workers identifying as female in the independent beer industry.
We look at all the facts and anecdotes around us, and it’s clear we need to undergo a period of reflection.
We now want to specifically look at three key areas:
How we establish financial resilience to do more and forward plan with confidence
How we develop impact frameworks
How we maximise available resource to amplify our mission
With this in mind, we have now appointed a new Advisory Board to help us. This is initially for a six-month period from August 2024 to January 2025 when we will be working through a review process and developing some new plans for the next 3 years of Women On Tap CIC.
Women On Tap founder, Rachel Auty, is feeling positive about the next phase in the lifecycle of the company:
“We had an amazing response to our callout for Advisory Board members and we had to make some tough decisions. We’ve now selected a group from within and beyond the beer industry, bringing together a range of specialisms and backgrounds; perspectives and interests; and people who are at differing stages in their careers.
We recognise that further boosting the diversity of our engagement is crucial, and with DEI expertise on the board and access to broad and extensive networks, we are in a strong position to have this high on the agenda in our forward-looking discussions.
At the end of the day, we have to focus on impact. As a social enterprise and Community Interest Company committed to influencing a better world for women - and at a time when progress is stalling - we must reflect on how we can be most effective with the resources we have and find a bigger voice that reaches more people to enact change.”
Meet the Board
Eleven Advisory Board members will now work with the founders over a six month period. They are:
Karen Bosher
Portfolio NED and Board Advisor - European Diversity Champion 2022
Karen was formally on the Executive Board at Greene King for 10 years - running Premium, Urban and Chairing Venture Brands for the business. A long history of developing and nurturing the role of women in pubs, brewing and sport - which led to being awarded European Diversity Champion in 2022 for this work. In addition, she has been recognised twice by the Guardian as a Powerlist Ally. Passionate advocate for the beer industry and often public speaker at industry events for the role women can and should play in developing our rich culture around beer and pubs as socially relevant and important. She now enjoys life as a portfolio director - a NED and strategic advisor to the industry - currently working with 4 brilliant bar and pub companies. Outside work it’s about kids, pets, festivals and she travels as much as possible - one of the benefits of a fractional career!
Amanda Bruns (she/ her)
Founder/Chaos Coordinator, Ale Advised
Amanda is a craft beverages consultant, specialising in craft beer and is the Founder/Chaos Coordinator at Ale Advised. Coming from an educational background of relationship theory and social work, Amanda believes in a people-first approach in all that she does. She has a particular passion for learning, leading her to earn the title of Certified Cicerone®, and believes in giving back, serving on the DEIJ committee for Pink Boots Society, as the volunteer Marketing Director for the Women’s Craft Fermentation Alliance, and others. In her spare time, she enjoys eating tacos, watching hockey, and petting animals.
Ellie Buck (they/ them)
Packaging Manager at Saltaire Brewery
Ellie was the first non-office based female member of staff that Saltaire Brewery hired and has been instrumental in getting the team to a 50/50 gender-split - fairly unusual if not unique in the beer industry. A graduate in theoretical physics, Ellie has worked in the brewing industry for the past 5 years and outside of work is a big fan of Sunday roasts, rugby and cold cans with friends.
Jennifer Easton (she/ her)
Marketing Executive at Flourish Marketing Ltd; recent masters graduate in International Marketing with Consumer Psychology at Heriot-Watt; undergraduate in Business Management.
Although in the early stages of her career, Jennifer is certain of one thing - making a positive impact within the drinks industry. More importantly, she is motivated to advocate for women in the brewing industry and use her voice for younger generations to come. With a background in marketing and a passion for branding, Jennifer is hoping to bring her expertise to the forefront to help raise awareness and shape a new future for beer that has many women in it. She’s looking forward to getting started and working alongside an inspiring team.
Connect with Jennier on Linkedin.
Amy Edgar (she/ her)
Customer Diversity & Inclusion Specialist, Transport for London
As a Diversity and Inclusion Specialist in the public sector, Amy is dedicated to fostering equitable environments for all. Living on the Essex coast in Southend, she finds joy in sea swims and embraces an active lifestyle.
Beyond her professional pursuits, she is an avid runner and yoga teacher. Her year away from the corporate world in the craft beer industry deepened her appreciation for local breweries and knowledge of craft beer.
Connect with Amy on Linkedin.
Laura Emson (she/ her)
CAMRA National Director for People & Awards
Laura fell in love with beer at university and before long the (hand)pull of volunteering was too strong to resist. Her involvement in CAMRA grew through beer festivals alongside her people-focused career in the NHS. A strong voice for inclusion and a focus on creating a positive experience for everyone in CAMRA, she is excited to combine her role as People Director with her work on the Advisory Board.
Photo: Steve Cross
Erin Fleming (she/ her)
People Analytics & Insights Manager, KingMakers
On the professional side, Erin is a People Analytics Manager with over 10 years of varied Human Resources experience in the non-profit, technology, and consumer sectors. Her expertise includes data analysis, visualisation, and storytelling around team engagement, DE&I, talent retention, performance and productivity, recruitment, and more. She has informally advised several impact-driven businesses, specifically on HR projects.
On the personal side, Erin is from the US but has loved living in the UK for the past 5 years. She loves beer and the pub culture in London. She also loves ballet, having danced most of her life. At Monday night ballet, Erin is known as the ‘social coordinator’, inviting folks for a pint after class!
Connect with Erin on Linkedin.
Laura Mackie
Non-Executive at SIBA
Having spent 20 plus years within the brewing industry, primarily in senior finance, sales & marketing roles, Laura is currently a Non-Executive Director of The Society of Independent Brewers & Associates (SIBA). Laura is also heavily involved in the adult social care sector and, as a Chartered Banker, is also a Financial Services NED.
Connect with Laura on Linkedin.
Joan O'Connor (she/ her)
EMEA Head of Brand and Corporate Communications/Sustainability at Subway International; former EMEA/European PR and Communications Director at The Coca-Cola Company
Joan is a seasoned International PR and Communications Director with over 30 years of expertise in marketing, brand management, and corporate communications for iconic global brands. Her extensive experience includes both in-house and agency roles, specialising in Food and Beverages, FMCG, retail, sports, music, and asset management. Joan is passionate about understanding how culture and consumer trends shape brands and organisations in society. An advocate for positive societal change, Joan has consistently delivered memorable campaigns and built strong stakeholder relationships. As an ambassador for Women In PR and former Chair of the PRCA Consumer Committee, she continues to influence the industry and share insights on consumer and brand PR issues.
Annabel Smith
Award-winning Beer Sommelier, educator, writer, and broadcaster
Having managed several renowned cask ale pubs for twelve years, Annabel worked as a trainer for Guinness before becoming the first female beer inspector for the Cask Marque Trust. In 2012, she became one of the first cohort of Beer Sommeliers to be accredited by the Beer & Cider Academy. In 2014 she founded BeerBelle, a company specialising in designing and delivering bespoke beer training courses and events for a wide range of clients. In 2017 she won the Imbibe Educator of the Year award. In 2018 she was awarded a lifetime achievement award from the All-Party Parliamentary Beer Group for services to the beer industry and is a former director of the British Guild of Beer Writers. She is the founder member of Dea Latis, an organisation which educates women about beer, and conducts research into female behaviours, attitudes and opinions about beer.
Catherine Webber (she/ her)
Business Development Manager, Attic Brew Co and Founder of Brum Beer Babs
Catherine Webber has been the Business Development Manager at Attic Brew Co., based in Birmingham, for the last two and a half years. She’s worked in various roles in the drinks world since 2019 and prior to that she worked for Mondelez International (better known here as Cadbury’s) in food safety, quality and training. Outside of work she is the founder of ladies beer group Brum Beer Babs and annual beer festival Brum Brew Fest.
Follow Catherine on Instagram.
Read this related article by The Drinks Business - ‘Women On Tap reveals powerful new advisory board’ [30.07.24]
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