James Espey was born in Livingstone, Zambia, in 1943 and educated in Cape Town, South Africa, before being transferred to London in 1977.

He holds BCom and MBA degrees, as well as two action learning PhDs in Marketing and Strategic Planning.

James spent fifty years in business, starting in the grocery trade before moving into the liquor industry and later becoming a consultant and a non-executive director of a wide variety of companies.

James has spent a large part of his career working internationally, building and creating brands and also identifying and selecting people who have gone on to “make their mark”. He was personally responsible for the launch of Malibu, Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Chivas Regal 18, as well as for the building of Baileys in its formative years.

James has written numerous articles and has also given periodic guest lectures at various business schools in the UK and abroad. He is most proud of helping to create The Keepers of the Quaich, Scotland’s leading whisky society, which honours those who make a contribution to this great industry.

In June 2013, he was awarded an OBE for Services to the Whisky Industry in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.