Heriot-Watt unveils co-chairs of fundraising committee for £35m brewing and distilling centre

Heriot-Watt University has named Ewan Andrew and Norman Murray as co-chairs of a fundraising committee tasked with assisting the University in raising £35m to build a new Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling.

The appointment of Mr Andrew, Diageo’s President Global Supply Chain & Procurement and Chief Sustainability Officer, signifies the continuation of a long and fruitful association between the global beverage company and the university, which includes the 1980s when Ronnie Martin OBE, Production Director of United Distillers, was appointed the ICBD’s first Visiting Professor.

His co-chair Norman Murray is a Heriot-Watt University alumnus and was appointed an Honorary Professor. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, a Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a former Chairman of the British Venture Capital Association. He was Chairman of the premium spirits company The Edrington Group and served as Senior Independent Director at the brewer Greene King plc. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He was awarded a CBE for services to the arts in the 2022 New Year’s Honours List.

Heriot-Watt is seeking to raise £35 million in order to realise its vision of building a new Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling (CSBD). The CSBD aims to embrace the latest low carbon technologies and sustainable practices so the university can evolve its world-renowned teaching and research to meet the challenges of the future.

This teaching now includes its first MSc in Sustainable Brewing and Distilling, which maintains its status as the world’s leading educational establishment whose undergraduate and graduate courses have breathed new life into brewing and distilling in Scotland, the UK and globally.

Mr Andrew said: “I am delighted to co-chair the fundraising committee for the new Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling. Heriot-Watt has set an ambitious but important goal, and its achievement will benefit not only the university but also the wider brewing and distilling industry as it works toward a more sustainable future.

“The centre will provide the facilities and expertise needed to develop practical, sustainable solutions and equip the next generation with the skills our industry needs. I look forward to working with Norman Murray, our fellow committee members and Heriot-Watt University to help turn this vision into reality, building a world-class hub for innovation that future-proofs one of Scotland’s most important industries for decades to come.”

Mr Murray said: “Heriot-Watt has been a centre of educational excellence for brewing and distilling since 1903. But it was its unique International Centre for Brewing and Distilling, established over 35 years ago, which changed the face of teaching and research. It achieved this through fierce ambition and a dedication to academic excellence.

“It is that ambition which provides us with huge momentum as we look to help the University raise the funds it needs to build the CSBD. I look forward to working with Ewan and the fundraising committee to achieve that goal – and we will.”

Professor Gillian Murray, Heriot-Watt University’s Deputy Principal for Business and Enterprise, said: “I am delighted that Ewan Andrew and Norman Murray have agreed to co-chair the fundraising committee as we seek to raise the £35m needed to build the CSBD.

“Together, we want to build broad support for a world-class centre for brewing and distilling, with new state-of-the-art facilities that spark sustainable innovation, develop future talent, and advance enterprising research. This will strengthen both industries for the challenges ahead so they can continue to thrive long into the future.”

Find out more about Heriot-Watt's vision for a new Centre for Sustainable Brewing and Distilling.