Managing Partners
Rickesh Kishnani is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Rare Whisky Holdings. He has over 20 years of experience creating and managing successful businesses across Hong Kong, Scotland and the US, with a strong network of private clients and investors. In 2014, Rickesh launched the world’s first private equity whisky fund (Platinum Whisky Fund), which offered investors a unique opportunity to capitalise upon the global demand for rare single malt whisky. In 2017 he helped raise capital to build Holyrood Distillery, the first single malt distillery to open in Edinburgh in close to 100 years. In 2019, Rickesh co-founded the Glenor Cask Company, a bespoke luxury single malt whisky cask business. In 2021, he co-founded Rare Whisky Holdings, which owns the Glenor Cask Company as well as a significant stake in the online auction business Whisky Hammer and the e-commerce platform Still Spirit. Prior to finding his passion in the wine and spirits industry, Rickesh was part of the start-up team at HookLogic in New York, which offers e-commerce platforms technology-led performance marketing solutions to influence consumer buying decisions. In 2016 HookLogic was acquired by the global commerce marketing publicly traded company Criteo for US$250 million. In 2003 Rickesh served as President of AIESEC United States, which provides global internship services to corporations and university graduates worldwide. Originally from Hong Kong, Rickesh holds a Bachelor of Science with a dual concentration in Economics and Organisational Management from the University of Michigan. As an active angel investor and avid traveller, Rickesh holds equity positions in several ventures across the US, UK, Israel and Greater China.
Li Hua Tan is the Co-Founder of Rare Whisky Holdings and General Partner of the Platinum Whisky Investment Fund. Launched in 2014, the Platinum Whisky Investment Fund was the world’s first private equity fund that invested in vintage and rare single malt whiskies. The Fund originally raised US$12 million and exited at over US$26 million in 7 years. In 2019, Rare Whisky Holdings acquired Glenor Cask Company with a portfolio of over 1,000 whisky casks from Scotland, and in 2021, a significant stake in an online auction business Whisky Hammer and the whisky e-commerce platform Still Spirit. Li began her career as a Financial Analyst in the Consumer and Healthcare team at Citigroup in New York City and Los Angeles. Two years later, she moved to Malaysia, where she managed a real estate corporation with a gross development value of US $450M. Simultaneously, she managed her own family office assets, which included a diversified public equity portfolio as well as higher octane private investments in Alternative Asset Investments across America, Europe, and Pan-Asia. Originally from Malaysia, Li graduated from the University of Southern California and is passionate about making an impact in climate change through investing in sustainable solutions, empowering other women in family business via a close network, and constantly learning as well as exploring other cultures and history via reading and traveling.
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Nick was Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Director of the Year 2022 and finalist for Institute of Director’s Director of the Year 2023. Nick has built an exciting career within the global spirits industry and has been acknowledged many times for his contribution to both the Scotch whisky and British craft spirits community. He has been honoured as a Keeper of the Quaich, Warden Rectifier of the Gin Guild, Freedom (by redemption) of the City of London, Liveryman of both the Worshipful Company of Distillers and World Traders and is a double award winner of the Queen's Award for International Trade His most recent role was leading the team at Holyrood Distillery as Managing Director, the first New Zealander to lead a Scotch whisky distillery. Under Nick's leadership Holyrood won multiple accolades for quality and innovation and was recognised as Scotch whisky's Production Innovation of the Year at the World Whisky Awards 2022. Hailing from Auckland, New Zealand, Nick holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Auckland University's School of Business with a major in Management. He is a keen ocean swimmer and has swum the Corryvreckan, Bruichladdich to Bowmore and The English Channel as part of a relay team in 2021.