Helen Mulholland, master blender with Sazerac Ireland, has today (Thursday, December 12) been confirmed as the new chair of the Irish Whiskey Association.
Mulholland has served as vice-chair on the representative body for the all-island Irish whiskey industry since 2022.
She will succeed the former chair of the association James Doherty, managing director of Sliabh Liag Distillers.
Irish Whiskey Association
Helen Mulholland, who is the first woman to serve as chair of the Irish Whiskey Association, will now hold the role for a period of two years.
She already holds the accolade of being the first woman master blender in Irish whiskey history, a title she achieved while working at Bushmills Distillery for nearly 30 years.
Now leading Sazerac’s Sligo distillery team, she oversees the global portfolio of Irish whiskeys, including Paddy and Michael Collins, while spearheading innovation in new product development.
Mulholland is also the first woman to have been inducted into the globally influential Whisky Magazine International Hall of Fame.
In 2020, she was the first woman recipient of a Drinks Ireland-Irish Whiskey Association chairman’s award for her outstanding contribution to the development of the industry.
She is also a member of The Last Drop Distillers Assembly, an international forum of industry experts and knowledge leaders.
Honour
Helen Mulholland said that being invited to chair the Irish Whiskey Association is “a huge honour”.
“Throughout my time in the industry, global volumes of Irish whiskey produced have increased sevenfold and the number of distilleries on the island of Ireland has grown from three to close to 50 today.
“My priority as chair at the association will be to protect the integrity of the Irish whiskey category, as well as continuing its global promotion.
“Irish whiskey is a prime example of our all-island economy that brings with it a unique value that should be celebrated, particularly in 2025,” she said.
Eoin Ó Catháin, director of the Irish Whiskey Association, said that Helen Mulholland is “one of the world’s most accomplished whiskey master blenders, with a career defined by groundbreaking achievements and exceptional craftsmanship”.
“Over the course of Helen’s decade-spanning and ground-breaking career, the Irish whiskey industry has flourished and seen major evolution.
“We are delighted to see our premium product’s consumer base broaden in recent years, with those choosing to enjoy Irish whiskey now far more diverse, with a wider age profile, and found all over the world,” he said.