Dr Emma Walker is the first woman to be appointed master blender at Scotch maker Johnnie Walker.
Dr Emma Walker is not related to Johnnie Walker founder John Walker. But it is a fitting last name for the first female to take up the role of Master Blender at the Scotch maker in more than 200 years. She will replace Dr Jim Beveridge OBE, who retires at the end of 2021 after more than 40 years at Johnnie Walker's parent Diageo, 20 of which as Master Blender.
"I love experimenting and innovating with flavour and we’ll be working hard to not only continue to deliver the unrivalled quality that we are renowned for but also introducing blends to appeal to a new generation of Scotch whisky fans," Emma Walker said.
Emma Walker joined Diageo 13 years ago and has become a highly respected blender who has worked extensively on Johnnie Walker for the last six years, the company said. Her innovations include the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare series and Jane Walker by Johnnie Walker.
The master blender leads a 12-strong team of expert whisky makers, who create the Johnnie Walker variants which are sold in more than 180 countries.
