The Court and Committees
In accordance with the Charter of Charles I, the Brewers’ Company is Governed by a Court (board) made up of the Master, the Upper, Middle and Renter Wardens and up to 28 Assistants. Court Assistants are appointed from the Livery by the Master and Wardens.
The Master is elected and installed annually at the Court meeting which takes place in July. Also elected and installed at this meeting are the Upper, Middle and Renter Wardens. Under normal circumstances, an individual elected as Renter Warden will progress through the ranks of Middle and Upper Warden, before becoming Master after three years.
Hover your mouse over the diagram, or tap to find out more.
The Master 2024-25
Professor Katherine Smart
Katherine graduated from the University of Nottingham in 1987 where she read Biological Sciences. She has a PhD in Brewing Science from the Council of National Academic Awards (1991), a DSc in Brewing and Distilling from the University of Nottingham (2016) and an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Nottingham (2017). She also holds a Diploma in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (2016) and has completed courses in Sustainability from the Universities of Cambridge (2015) and Oxford (2023).
She has held academic positions at the Universities of Oxford Brookes, Nottingham, and currently at Cambridge.
In the business world, she held corporate vice president positions at SABMiller and AB InBev where she was Global Chief Brewer. She is currently Global Technical Director and Chief Scientist at Diageo.
She founded the National Brewing Library at Oxford Brookes University (2001), the Brewing Science and Bioenergy Centre at the University of Nottingham (2005) and a family distillery with her husband (2017).
She was the second woman to hold the role of President of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (2016-2018) and is the current President Elect of the American Society of Brewing Chemists. She is a Rectifier of the Gin Guild, a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers and has held board positions with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the Scottish Whisky Research Institute. She is a member of the EBC Brewing Science Group.
Katherine is the first woman to be appointed Master of the Worshipful Company of Brewers.
Upper Warden 2024-25
Mr Fergus McMullen DL, McMullen & Sons
Middle Warden 2024-25
Mr Stephen Gould, Everards Brewery
Renter Warden 2024-25
Mr Torquil Sligo-Young, Young's
Court 2024-25
Court Assistants include representatives from the Company's member breweries, as well as the Chairs of the Company's permanent committees and representatives from the governing bodies of its schools.
Staff
There are four full time members of staff at Brewers’ Hall and a part-time Archivist. The Clerk is the Chief Executive and reports to the Master and Wardens and the Court. He is supported by the Finance Director/Deputy Clerk whose main responsibility is overseeing the finances of the Company and its foundations and trusts. The Livery Manager is responsible for administrative support for the Company and its charities, as well as supporting the membership. The Beadle is responsible for the management of the Hall and the running of all functions within the Hall.