Innis & Gunn fired up with first marketing chief

Craft beer maker Innis & Gunn has taken on its first head of marketing as part of the Edinburgh firm's rapid expansion plans.

Jane Cannon becomes Innis & Gunn's first head of marketing. Picture: Contributed

The appointment of Jane Cannon has been described as a “major step” in the Edinburgh-based brewer’s 2016 growth strategy and comes just weeks after the surprise acquisition of Perth’s Inveralmond Brewery.

Cannon takes up the newly created role having previously led the development of the beer portfolio at Tennent Caledonian, part of Irish drinks firm C&C Group, from 2008 to 2015. Prior to that, she held positions at ScottishPower, the Scottish Government and advertising agency Barkers.

She said: “I’ve always been a big admirer of Innis & Gunn, having followed its progress closely over the past seven years.

“We’ve got an exciting year ahead following our acquisition of the Inveralmond Brewery. This is already opening up new realms of possibilities, from new brewing styles, to increasing our production in new and existing markets.”

Dougal Sharp, Innis & Gunn’s founder and master brewer, added: “This year is already off to an exciting start with the acquisition of our own brewery so we’ll be rolling out our expansion plans sooner than we thought. The new head of marketing role will be vital in driving this progression forward.”

During her time at Tennent Caledonian, Cannon developed a number of brands from conception to launch, including Heverlee, a premium Belgian beer.