Ryen Gardiner, Head of Operations

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Ryen Gardiner leads operations at Oakwood Cooperage, overseeing the delivery of quality, consistency, and performance across every aspect of the business.

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With a background in mechanical engineering and extensive experience supporting distillery and industrial environments, Ryen brings a practical, solutions-driven approach to operational management. His career has been built within the Scotch whisky industry, developing a strong understanding of production environments, engineering systems, and the role of cask in spirit quality.

At Oakwood Cooperage, Ryen is responsible for the day-to-day running of global operations, ensuring that cooperage processes, logistics, and customer delivery meet the standards expected by our customers worldwide. His role bridges traditional cooperage craft with modern operational demands, supporting both efficiency and consistency at scale.

He also holds a General Certificate in Distilling from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling, bringing added insight into how casks perform throughout the full lifecycle of maturation.

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Education

General Certificate in Distilling, Institute of Brewing & Distilling

SVQ Levels 2 & 3, Mechanical Engineering