Sherrie Moore has accumulated more institutional knowledge in her decades of working in the distillation business than most can ever aspire to. She has achieved great respect for this knowledge by “STANDING in the paint and DOING the job” at every stage of her career. The “standing and doing” convinced her that blending her formal education in Chemistry, Physics, and Biology with the practical common-sense knowledge achieved through the “doing of a thing” was the secret to great insight.
She attributes much of her success to her collaboration with individuals from diverse backgrounds … some with limited formal education but profound whiskey expertise and some with PhDs who worked in Research and Development. Recognizing significant value in the partnership of these varied sources of knowledge, she insisted that all her project teams be composed of individuals from both groups.
These teams, led by Sherrie, achieved great things together. At Jack Daniels, her team’s projects resulted in 38 million dollars in cost savings on a Barrel House Reinvention project; barrel yield optimizations, unique flavor profiles through the toasting (they were the first to do this) and then charring of the barrels. It goes on and on.
What advice would she share with those wishing a lifetime of success in this industry? “Learn and do the job you are in. Do it well, and you will grow. Value and respect ALL the knowledge represented around you and apply their advice in combination with your growing knowledge.”
The first woman since Prohibition to manage an operational department (1989)—all hail the Queen Mother of Whiskey!
