Technical Sales Manager | Lallemand Distilling | @lallemanddistilling

Holding a biology degree, Churchill became a laboratory analyst at a large-scale craft brewery. During 12 years in the industry, she has worked on brewing systems at every scale, developed and implemented quality systems, built sensory programs and optimized operations. Now a Technical Sales Manager for the Lallemand Distilling team, focused on distilled spirits in the U.S., she brings expertise in operations and fermentation to help customers gain a deeper understanding of their processes and optimize their procedures.

Founder & CEO | Cirka Distilleries

@cirka_distilleries

Paul Cirka graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Landscape Architecture, after completing two years of a Bachelor of Science degree at McMaster University. An interest in computer-assisted design aids led him to graphics and the technology industry, and he spent nearly 15 years with start-ups in film special effects, television broadcast systems and creative learning solutions. Experience in software interface design, system architecture, marketing, business development and finance led him to explore early craft distilling, when there fewer than 200 micro-distilleries in the U.S. In 2014, he founded Cirka Distilleries, where as CEO and operations head he focuses on product development and business strategies. He met Michael Bublé in 2020 when Michael became a shareholder in Cirka Distilleries, and they’ve since collaborated on the creation of Fraser & Thompson Whisky.

Lead Distiller | WhistlePig Whiskey

Chris grew up on the North Shore of Massachusetts, where his interest in brewing and fermentation lead to working for Long Trail Brewing Company in Vermont in 2015. In 2019 he joined WhistlePig Rye Whiskey as a distiller where he used his brewing knowledge to help increase and scale up production, increasing their fermentation capacity by 50% in 2021. He now works as the Head distiller and Operations manager for their Shoreham location, where he oversees distillery production, their barrel warehouses, and agriculture production on their 500-acre farm. During his tenure at WhistlePig, Chris has focused on increasing distillery output, establishing a structured mashing, fermentation and distillation schedule, and increased mashing and fermentation yields. He is also working with a local farmer to plant rye, corn, wheat, and barley, and move towards regenerative farming techniques.

Whisky Program Manager & Partner | Sons of Vancouver Distillery | @sonsofvancouver

Jenna Diubaldo oversees distillation, maturation and blending program for Sons of Vancouver Distillery's whisky program. She completed her certificate in brewing technology at the Siebel Institute and learned to distill at The Distillery School. Originally hoping to open a distillery in her hometown Winnipeg, she jumped at the chance to move to North Vancouver to join the team at Sons of Vancouver, and became a partner in the distillery in 2022.

Director of Beer & Spirits | SNDL | @RyanEngen

Ryan Engen serves as the Director of Beer & Spirits at SNDL, where he has dedicated over 20 years to enhancing the company’s beverage portfolio. SNDL operates prominent retail brands, including Wine & Beyond, Liquor Depot, and Ace Liquor, offering customers a curated selection of premium beer, wine, and spirits.

In his role, Ryan is responsible for overseeing product selection, pricing strategies, merchandising, and marketing initiatives. His expertise in identifying trends and fostering partnerships with craft producers has positioned SNDL as a leader in the beverage industry.

With a passion for innovation and a deep appreciation for the craftsmanship behind quality spirits, Ryan has become a respected voice in the industry. He is committed to delivering exceptional experiences for both producers and consumers, ensuring that every bottle tells a story worth sharing.

Technical Sales Manager | Lallemand Distilling | @lallemanddistilling

Roxanne Fernandez Tiburolobo is an award-winning brewer and distiller who has spent over a decade in the craft beer and spirits production industry. While predominantly specializing in whiskey and grain spirits, they have experience in producing a wide range of products from their time in the contract distillation sector. Recently, they joined the Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits team to provide technical expertise in fermentation and mash house optimization for distilleries throughout the West Coast of the United States.

Drink Writer, Consultant, & Judge | @cowtownwine

Tom is a drinks writer, consultant, and judge who has been travelling the world and pulling corks for over twenty five years. He is the Managing Editor for Culinaire Magazine and is the Competition Director for the Alberta Beverage Awards. His formal training includes certification with the WSET and the ISG, and Tom has judged at domestic and international competitions around the world.

He has no qualms about tasting first thing in the morning, and his desk is covered in paper and bottles - somewhere under all that, a corkscrew might be found. 

Environmental Scientist | Trace Associates Inc. | @traceassociates

Jacqueline Gorman, MSc, MBA, GPCD, is a Principal Environmental Scientist at Trace Associates Inc., with more than 20 years of experience in environmental consulting. She is a registered Sustainability Excellence Associate with the International Society of Sustainability Professionals and has training through the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute. Her experience includes sustainability research, program development, and board advisory services in a wide range of industries, including software as a service, chemical recycling, and digital health care. Additionally, she has led multi-disciplined teams conducting environmental assessment and regulatory compliance projects throughout western Canada.

Master Distiller, Maltster & Co-Founder | Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse | @leopoldbros
@leopoldbrosfloormaltings

Todd Leopold is a three-time James Beard Award semi-finalist for Outstanding Wine, Spirits or Beer Producer, and a 29-year veteran of the brewing and distilling industries. He holds a Diploma in Brewing and Malting Science from the Siebel Institute, and attended the Doemens Brewer’s Academy in Germany. In addition to operating one of the largest floor malting operations in the world at Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse in Denver, he revived the Three Chamber Still, a special and once-popular still used by American and Canadian distillers to produce whiskies and brandies before Prohibition. Leopold Bros. Distillery & Malthouse was founded in 1999 and was honoured as the 2015 Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute and has won many awards for its whiskies and other spirits.

General Manager & Partner | Sons of Vancouver Distillery | @sonsofvancouver

James Lester is the General Manager, and one of the founding owners of Sons of Vancouver Distillery. He started the distillery in 2015, originally making liqueurs and vodka, but eventually shifting focus to whisky production in 2021. He has a vast knowledge of the whisky industry and has spent time making bourbon at a distillery in Seattle, Washington.

Health Sciences Professor & Medical Historian | Brock University | @DanMalleck

Dan Malleck is a medical historian specializing in drug and alcohol policy, chair of the Department of Health Sciences at Brock University and the director of Brock’s Centre for Canadian Studies. He uses historically grounded analysis to provide insight into current issues, including liquor laws and drinking policy, cannabis legalization and the opioid crisis. His books include Try to Control Yourself: The regulation of public drinking in post-prohibition Ontario (UBC Press 2012); When Good Drugs Go Bad: Opium, medicine, and the origins of Canada’s drug laws (UBC Press, 2015); and Liquor in the Liberal State: Drink and order before prohibition (UBC Press, 2022) as well as three edited collections.

Business Area Manager (Caribbean & North America), Distilled Spirits | Lallemand Distilling | @lallemanddistilling

A microbiologist with a degree from the Université de Montréal, Mercier worked in the food industry before joining the Lallemand Genetic Identification Laboratory, working on R&D projects and focusing on yeast strain improvement. In 2013 she joined the Lallemand Biofuels & Distilled Spirits team as a research associate, and in 2017 became Technical Sales Manager for Lallemand Distilling in Canada. In 2021 she became Business Area Manager, covering North America and the Caribbean.

True Wild Distilling

Parsons is enjoying being in the middle of Alberta’s recent growth in craft distilleries. For the last decade he has been involved in both the brewing and distilling movements, and provides a wide knowledge base on challenges businesses face in entering and growing the distilling industry. Based out of Last Best Brewery and Distillery in Calgary, he has been busy developing his own stamp to put on the next chapter of Canadian whisky history: shooting for world records, flexing his creative talent with award-winning gins, and sitting in the hot seat as Alberta’s president of Alberta’s Craft Distillers Association.

Chief Experience Officer | Amplify Advisors

As their Chief Experience Officer, Jamie leads the Client Experience and reinforces the values and purpose of Amplify. She runs the strategy, brand, partnerships, marketing and growth of Amplify. It is a “Visionary” role! Some people feel sad that Amplify has a CPA in charge of such matters. If they see the poem Jamie had published as a preteen and discover her minor in marketing; they realize the actual deviation may have been the years counting beans?

Amplify has Recruiting services, including placing temporary and permanent CPAs. AmplifyTech is an Oracle NetSuite and Acumatica provider and licenses and implements the Emerging ERPs. Amplify also provides consulting to accounting and finance departments. Amplify Advisors Professional Corporation (Chartered Professional Accountants) is a CPA firm.

Owner | Gorman & Smith Beverage Equipment | @w.kyle.smith

W. Kyle Smith is a consultant and educator in the beverage alcohol industry. With a robust background in Chemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario and a Master’s degree in Brewing and Distilling Science from Heriot-Watt University (currently being defended), he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the field. As the owner of Gorman & Smith Beverage Equipment, he provides top-tier solutions and guidance to beverage manufacturers. He is also a lecturer at Niagara College, where he shares his passion and expertise with the next generation of industry professionals. He collaborates closely with award-winning Toronto bar Civil Liberties, helping to turn innovative beverage concepts into marketable concepts for Civil Pours, its kegged and bottled cocktail business.

Partner & Lead Distiller | Sons of Vancouver Distillery | @sonsofvancouver

Max Smith is a lifelong resident of BC's Lower Mainland region, and began distilling in 2012 with friends and colleagues from Simon Fraser University. He proudly joined the SoV team in 2019, and since then has been helping to produce some of the finest whiskies in Canada, working with different scales of operation, styles of product and base inputs (including wheat, rye, apples and corn). Like the rest of the SoV team, he is passionate about whisky and the multitude of amazing Canadian rye produced in recent years.