Women Leading Spirits and WSET Announce New Education Partnership

Collaboration will expand access to WSET qualifications and support 100 scholarship recipients by 2030

August 14, 2026— Women Leading Spirits (WLS) – has announced a new education partnership with WSET, the global leader in drinks education, to expand access to professional development and internationally recognized training for women across the global spirits industry.

WSET will serve as the official education partner of Women Leading Spirits. Through its Social Impact Fund, WSET will offer annual scholarships for Level 1 and Level 2 Awards in Spirits online, with a goal of supporting approximately 100 scholarship recipients by 2030. Scholarship applications will be available to WLS members at womenleadingspirits.com starting this September. The partnership will also provide preferential pricing for WLS members on selected WSET online qualifications; an annual calendar of four to six webinars and digital masterclasses; WSET participation in WLS international events, conferences and bootcamps; and the exploration of future leadership programs for emerging professionals.

For Women Leading Spirits, the partnership represents an important step in its mission to expand access to education and advance women’s leadership throughout the spirits industry. Co-Founder and President Larissa Arjona leads the organization alongside regional directors Alexandra Alfaro, Latin America; Natally Andersson, the Caribbean; and Angelique Julienne, Europe.

“Education is one of the most powerful ways we can create opportunity and accelerate women’s leadership across the global spirits industry,” says Arjona. “Partnering with WSET allows us to give our members greater access to internationally recognized education, remove some of the barriers to professional development, and provide practical tools that can help them grow throughout their careers.”

 Founded in 1969, WSET offers qualifications and courses in wine, spirits, sake and beer. Through a global network of more than 700 course providers, it delivers learning experiences in 80 countries and 15 languages. As an independent UK-registered charity, WSET helps people build their careers, businesses develop their teams and enthusiasts deepen their knowledge and enjoyment through trusted and impartial drinks education.

Rob McCaughey, Commercial Growth Lead at WSET Americas, said: “Women Leading Spirits is driving an essential conversation about leadership, representation, and professional development. We’re proud to join this mission and offer our qualifications, resources, and educational expertise to support a community that is making a meaningful difference. This agreement will allow us to reach more professionals, strengthen talent across the global drinks industry, and contribute to a more inclusive and skilled industry.” Together, WSET and WLS will also collaborate on educational content and programming designed to encourage participation in professional training and create additional opportunities for members to build knowledge, skills and industry connections.

 Michelle Brampton, WSET Chief Executive, said: “As a charity, we believe education should be accessible to everyone with the ambition to learn and progress. Through our Social Impact Fund, we’re committed to creating opportunities for individuals who may face barriers to professional development. This partnership with Women Leading Spirits will help us extend that impact, supporting talented people across the global drinks industry to gain knowledge, confidence and skills through our globally recognized qualifications, and empowering them to realize their potential and take the next step in their careers.”   

Further details about the scholarship program, educational calendar and opportunities available to Women Leading Spirits members will be announced soon.

Notes to Editors 

About WSET 

WSET is the global leader in drinks education, setting the international standard for qualifications in wine, spirits, sake and beer. Since 1969, WSET has awarded qualifications to over 1.5 million candidates worldwide. Our four progressive levels of study – from beginner to expert-level diploma – are open to both industry professionals and enthusiasts. In 2024/25, over 120,000 candidates studied for a WSET qualification, with courses available in more than 80 countries and 15 languages. Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn 

Contact  

For any media enquiries, including interview requests, please contact: Grace Williams, Communications Manager at WSET:  GWilliams@wsetglobal.com.