Meet the Team
FOUNDER
Mike Ward
Mike is the founder of MLIW. Having spent the past 25 years working in London & Dubai trading in financial markets and consulting, he founded Highland Whisky Clan in 2023 and MLIW in 2025. Mike's family heritage is a combination of Scottish (Edinburgh) and Irish (Donegal), so has a deep-rooted connection with both countries that produce the best quality of whiskey in the world.
A happily married family man with two beautiful children, his wife and kids give him the enthusiasm and motivation to drive MLIW to be a global success — delivering a trustworthy, transparent experience to all MLIW clients.
SENIOR PARTNER
Professor Vijay Edward Pereira
Vijay is a globally renowned professor of international business, and his involvement as a business mentr and advisor spans several decades. One of the top publishing scholars in business and management, his work appears in the Harvard Business Review, MIT Sloan Management Review and he has featured several times in Forbes, as an expert.
He has been involved in helping several startups including in the liquor and beverages industry, technology industry and consumer goods industry. He is a strategist and consultant and part of HWC family as a partner. Professor Vijay Edward Pereira Senior Partner
SENIOR PARTNER
Vinny Paul
Vinny has extensive experience in the financial industry, before joining Mike at Highland Whisky Clan three years ago to work alongside the family-run team to build the brand and develop MLIW whiskey in Ireland. Vinny was an active day trader, managing high-net-worth funds on behalf of his client base on both Forex & Cryptocurrency Exchange and Tangible assets.