More than a name. A mindset.

Scott is a fifth-generation distiller who has spent his career helping spirits companies turn ambitious ideas into enduring businesses. Affectionately known throughout the industry as “The King of Craft,” he began working in the business at just 15 years old and has since experienced nearly every side of it; from product development and operations to sales, marketing, finance, and growth.

Having owned two distilleries, guided the development of more than 50 others, and helped bring over 100 brands to life, Scott knows firsthand both the excitement and the realities of building a spirits business. As founder of Thoroughbred Spirits Group, he works alongside founders and leadership teams at pivotal moments, helping them see around corners, make wiser decisions, and bring bold ideas to life with the right financial and operational discipline behind them.

At heart, Scott believes great businesses are built by exceptional people united around a shared vision and that his work should always be carried out with professionalism and grace. That belief has shaped his work as a trusted advisor, executive, and board member, as well as his ability to bring together the right people, resources, and strategies when they matter most. Scott sees how the many pieces of the spirits business connect, but just as importantly, he understands the people behind them. His goal is simple: to help good people build businesses they are proud of and enjoy the journey along the way.

Amanda is a seasoned brand and marketing executive with brand strategy and operations expertise in consumer goods, healthcare, and entertainment. After 10 years in aesthetic sales & marketing strategy, Amanda’s eye was caught by a growing field in the artisan spirits arena and decided to make the jump. For the past six years, she has been helping clients see the brands from a women’s point of view. “It’s not always just about the liquid.” Further, Amanda provides leadership to the marketing team with a focus on innovation and strategic marketing initiatives.

Shannon spent 15 years in the nonprofit and fundraising sector before transitioning into the spirits industry as the Retail and Events Director for a local craft distillery in Nashville, Tennessee. It was there that she discovered her passion for the industry and developed firsthand experience in brand engagement, customer experience, and operations.

As Project Director at Thoroughbred Spirits Group, Shannon combines her industry knowledge, organizational expertise, and meticulous attention to detail to help drive projects from concept to completion. She works closely with clients and the Thoroughbred team to ensure every engagement is executed with precision, providing personalized service and strategic support that reflects the company's commitment to excellence. Shannon is passionate about building strong relationships and helping clients navigate every stage of their journey with confidence and care.

Brad joins the Thoroughbred team with over 15 years of experience across the beverage alcohol and consumer packaged goods industries. He specializes in building scalable financial systems and modeling frameworks that help brands plan, grow, and track performance with confidence. Before joining Thoroughbred, Brad served as Portfolio Finance Director for Distill Ventures — Diageo’s venture arm — where he managed finance and reporting for the North America portfolio. Known for simplifying complex business models and delivering actionable insights, Brad brings a pragmatic, founder-focused approach to finance and growth strategy.

Simone is a fourth-generation wine and spirits professional with a deep-rooted passion for the beverage alcohol industry. He began his career in hospitality before joining his family’s distribution business in Louisville, KY, where he rose to Director of Operations and helped lead a major merger and growth phase. After transitioning into sales at RNDC, Simone launched the Alliance Division—partnering with Brown-Forman, Bacardi, and Remy—and played a key role in the revival of bourbon and the emergence of today’s leading craft brands. As Vice President of Sales, he led one of RNDC’s top-performing markets before taking on a national role to launch The Artisan Group (TAG), aligning craft portfolios across 37 states. Simone brings a unique perspective on brand building, market strategy, and what it takes to launch and scale successful craft products.

For over 20 years, Sam has excelled in the liquor industry. She was the Managing Director for Angel’s Envy responsible for company development, branding, marketing, PR development, as well as strategic and local market execution plans for Angel’s Envy. She earned her title of “Whiskey Chick” through a personal passion for whiskey (and spirits in general) learning her CSS. Before Angel’s Envy, she served as Senior VP for Altamar Brands, where she was directly accountable for brand development and strategy on the portfolio of brands - including the launch of Tequila Ocho. Prior to that, she worked as Senior Marketing Director for the Whiskey Portfolio at Beam Global North America, Regional Marketing Director for Super Premium Spirits at Brown-Forman, and Brand Manager at Schefflin and Somerset.

From international gin brands to boutique craft bourbons, Benjamin has had an impeccable career dedicated to craft spirits and luxury goods space, and is widely known for his expertise in beverage branding. Having begun his career working on multinational spirit brands, he quickly began dedicating his time to the craft sector. Over the last 7 years as Creative Director for Thoroughbred, Benjamin’s work has been defined by a strong handcrafted feel and an excellent attention to detail, with brand development and design that is both aesthetically pleasing and strategically sound.

Kristin joins the Thoroughbred team with over 17 years of marketing experience in the wine & spirits industry. Her diverse background includes brand innovation & development, strategy, packaging design, trade marketing, advertising and sponsorship. Her passion lies in new brand development and she has helped develop over 10 brands during her tenure. Kristin works closely with the design team to create innovative concepts and turn them into reality.

Jen has over 15 years of Marketing experience, moving up from the ground level to regional direction. After many years of general field marketing, event management and recruiting/staffing experience, she moved spirits brand side with Angel's Envy Bourbon, developing their educational trade ambassador program fueled by true brand connection and loyalty. Since then she has become a spirits marketing generalist with years of experience in all aspects of brand development. Her passion is in creating savvy programs to grow true brand advocacy such as loyalty programs, educational trade ambassadors, and consumer experiences.

Since joining the Thoroughbred team, Christina has contributed to a variety of projects across multiple clients. She previously led the day-to-day operations of Brand Ambassador programs within the TBSG portfolio and has now taken on the additional role of managing, creating, and planning the company’s social media presence utilizing content strategy and performance tracking. Outside of her position at Thoroughbred Spirits Group, Christina also works at KOVAL Distillery in Chicago, where she started as a Brand Ambassador and now serves as a Store Assistant and Tour Guide. It was at KOVAL that Christina was first introduced to the world of spirits–an industry that continues to shape her career. With a background in–and continued pursuit of–theatre, Christina brings a fresh, creative eye to every project. She thrives in collaborative environments and firmly believes that the best work can be done, together.

Gabriella has extensive experience in crafting beautiful brands across the spirits, beauty and fashion sectors giving her a distinct understanding of brand development for luxury consumer goods. Gabriella has meticulous attention to detail and strongly believes that by perfecting the smallest of brand elements, a great brand will follow.

Lucy joins Thoroughbred Spirits as the Director of Brand Development. Specializing in brand strategy, and drawing from her experience of developing and marketing brands in a variety of industries, Lucy works closely with clients and our design team to help meld goals and vision into tangible products. Lucy is ultimately focused on executing authentic brands that succeed by connecting visually and emotionally with their audiences.

Steve consults with our clients on a wide range of technical and operational aspects of the distilling industry. His specialties include distillery process development and troubleshooting, spirits sensory training, beverage creation, and instruction in distillery operations. He is a regular instructor at The Alcohol School, a past presenter at the Siebel Institute, and serves on the examination board of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling. His work appears in various distilling and beverage industry publications. Steve has worked in the distilling field since 1980, after earning B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Microbiology from the University of Guelph. He spent 26 years in technical and leadership roles with major Canadian and international distillers, including McGuinness Distillers, Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., and Allied Domecq PLC. He is also a co-founder of the Canadian whisky brand Kavi Reserve.

As mercurial as they come, Matt has worked in virtually every spirit category at some point in his career winning numerous awards for his whiskeys, gins, rums, and liqueurs. He is a prolific educator and writer, authoring two highly regarded books for the distilling industry, countless articles for various trade magazines, and is an ongoing faculty member of schools and universities both in the U.S. and abroad.

Beginning his career in Distillery Operations at McGuiness Distillers Ltd, Rick has more than 38 years experience in the production of distilled spirits including distillation, maturation, packaging, process optimization as well as safety, energy, and efficiency improvements. Rick eventually became production superintendent (The Distiller) at Alberta Distillers. Rick is a Certified Power Engineer and a proud recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2018 Canadian Whisky Awards.

Beginning his career, as a distiller process engineer at Hiram Walker Distillery, Dan's 25 years of experience in operations & plant management led him to serve in multiple roles as a vice president, as well as, technical director. With a degree in Chemical Engineering, Dan has extensive knowledge in spirits manufacturing, operations, and technical management, providing his expertise for both multinationals and craft distilleries alike for the past 19 years.

Rob comes to Thoroughbred with nearly 30 years of experience in the Architectural field, and an almost equaled timeframe of enjoying bourbon. Utilizing a well-honed skill set that is proficient in design, he also brings a strong work ethic and a passion towards providing the best possible outcomes for his clients. Understanding the importance of collaboration, Rob works in conjunction with our Distillery Engineers, Dan and Rick, to provide CAD based presentation, distillery and process drawings for our clients.

Bryan is a psychotherapist, executive coach, motivational expert, and consultant for businesses, teams, and corporate mental health and wellness, with a proven track record of increased health and productivity for c-suite executives, business professionals, coaches and consultants, and more. As a leadership health advocate, Bryan has spent 15+ years consulting on strategic interventions for leader vitality and health. He is a regular featured speaker on mental and spiritual well-being with 20+ years of combined clinical and pastoral counseling.

Carl’s passion is invigorating self-discovery, and “Inspiring People to be Their Best!”. His life-long mission is about encouraging leaders to develop the personal belief to “serve” and have an “intentional sense of commitment” that builds trust and propels organizations and people to excel and grow. With the right mindset, Carl believes that the possibilities are endless!

Andy is a 20-year veteran in beer, wine, and spirits. He began his career in spirits at Diageo UK in various roles, leading key customers and developing talent in large commercial teams. He has vast experience working with international markets and has a passion for languages (fluent in English, French, and German), people development, and developing deep partnerships with brand owners and distributors. “Nobody is a stranger – just someone you don’t know yet.”

Having been in and around the spirits business for over a decade, both as an entrepreneur and on the buy-side, David has been involved with dynamic start-ups as well as large Wall Street firms. Drawing from this experience, he helps clients advance strategy, facilitate product development, improve operational costs and quality, and provide guidance for exit strategies. In addition, David runs Thoroughbred Spirits Partners Fund, one of the first private equity funds focused on the spirits industry.

Kristi joins the Thoroughbred team with more than 10 years of experience assisting businesses with their full-charge bookkeeping needs. With a background in the spirits industry, small business, restaurant, and additional markets, her expertise plays a crucial role in keeping a pulse on the company by providing Thoroughbred and all clients with accurate, up-to-date financial information.