Kathryn Thomson

Kathryn Thomson has been the Head of Education and Professional Development at the Chartered Institute of Brewers and Distillers since January 2024. A former teacher, trainer, and teacher trainer, she worked for five years at Cambridge Assessment, the international exam board of the University of Cambridge. She has been in the field of lifelong learning for the last 30 years all over the world including Australia, Malaysia, Iceland and France. Since 2004 she has specialised in leading the education departments of membership bodies (science, geography, corporate governance, engineering), mostly on the interface between higher education and professional qualifications. This has included developing apprenticeship schemes, writing curriculum materials, leading on compliance and gaining accreditation. She has worked closely with the Privy Council and helped organisations and individuals gain Chartered status for their subject specialism expertise. Kathryn is delighted that the IBD is now the CIBD, with a renewed focus on lifelong learning for members.