Very few make it to blue - Makro

Donald Colville
Global Scotch Brand Ambassador - Diageo.
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Donald was born and brought
up in Scotland’s historic whisky
capital, Campbeltown on the west
coast of Scotland. Th ere the Colville
family enjoyed deep roots in whisky
distilling, mainly through the building
and operating of Dalintober distillery,
a supplier to the Johnnie Walker
blends and once owned by Donald’s
great-grandfather.
Indeed, all Donald’s working life has been spent in the
drinks industry in Scotland, helping him to acquire
a wide knowledge of the spirits category, both in
Scotland and overseas. His first appointments were
in management positions in Greenock and Glasgow
with the leading pub chain J. D. Wetherspoon, where
he helped develop the malt category. In 2002 he
returned to Campbeltown to work for four years
in Springbank for J & A Mitchell where he initially
managed inbound visits, tastings, public tours and
the retail and wholesale business for the local area
before taking on some travel responsibilities for this
celebrated distillery.
A first exposure to the role of a Global Brand
Ambassador came when Donald joined Burn Stewart
Distillers, where continental Europe, the USA and
South Africa were some of the territories that Donald
covered.
Diageo recruited Donald in 2008 and after some
experience in quality assessment, he was seconded to a
sales function which made good use of his presentation
22 WHISKY EDITION November 2011
abilities looking after top on-trade
accounts in Scotland, but this was all
part of a bigger plan and he achieved
his ambition when he was appointed
as a Global Brand ambassador for
Scotch Whisky in December 2010.
Local whisky aficionados will
be pleased to hear that Donald is
flying out to South Africa for the
Johannesburg leg of this year’s FNB
Whisky Live Festival, taking place at
the Sandton Convention Centre from
the 9th to the 11th November.