Claire is the co-founder of Æcorn, the world’s first range of non-alcoholic aperitifs and sister brand to Seedlip, the non-alcoholic category pioneer. She has also been the Director of Education at Moët Hennessy and the Head of Spirit Creation and Mixology at Belvedere Vodka.

My Superpower 

In a sector that had few women at the time, Claire felt her gender “was a superpower” as well as her creativity and a different perspective that marked her apart: “When I started out, there were very few visible women, so I was unusual in that respect. I had to lean into that and then bring your creative power.” Having just finished a law degree: “I was really used to advocating for myself and my ideas.”

New Beginnings  with Æcorn 

Despite having worked for high profile brands such as Moët Hennessy, Æcorn is “my biggest, proudest success, because we developing it entirely from scratch.” Claire says this was “such a brilliant experience and journey.” From sourcing ingredients to designing labels, “there was a lot of new things that I’d not done before.” 

It is the energy levels too. And how to harness them. She recounts her fear at launching Æcorn and getting advice from Ben Branson, the founder of Seedlip. He saw these nerves as the same as being excited but urged her to “channel it into what you’re doing and to be brave.”

She took this advice to heart. And she now feels “we’ve created something really unique and really special.” At Belvedere, she says her work “was always about building a brand that was already established.” With Æcorn though, “you really have to bring a lot of yourself into that brand for it to be meaningful.” 

Coaching, Collaboration and Mentorship

Mentors have each given “lots of collaboration, lots of support.” They have also “helped me navigate corporate life.” From her first boss at Moet Hennessy, Alexei Rosen, Joe Thornton and Malcolm Dunbar to the President of Belvedere, Charles Gibb (now president of Fever Tree USA) all have supported her and encouraged her entrepreneurial spirit. She also pays tribute to Ben Branson of Seedlip “who saw something in me”, asking her to set up Æcorn with him.

The mentoring has meant she can now see her value of self-worth: “they really helped me be comfortable and fit in and know that I bought value.” 

The Power of the Network 

What advice would Claire give to her younger self? “Network, network, network.” It will stand the test of time: “There are so many people I met when we were all starting out together; now they’re running huge businesses.” 

Collaboration is key. “Always try to bring people with you if you can.” And “stop worrying about what other people think” as “most people are typically too busy worrying about themselves, to also be thinking about you.”

Observe Then Sort 

To break the bias, Claire says we should always be looking out for under-representation, and in noticing and observing should focus on trying “to create more space for women.” What does this mean? It could be “seeking women out for collaboration,” or “bringing more women into the boardroom to present their ideas.’ Ultimately though, it is about “making more space and helping elevate female voices.” And taking action – no matter the challenge – sums up Claire’s career so far.