[We ASKED] Amanda Butt

[WE ASKED] CELEBRATES THE STORIES OF NEWCOMERS WHO HAVE MOVED TO THE GREATER SAINT JOHN REGION FOR WORK.  

When Amanda Butt was told by one of her university professors she could get paid to make beer, she was intrigued. She did some research, and soon after completing her undergraduate degree, left for Scotland to pursue a Masters in Brewing and Distilling.  Returning to Canada, Amanda launched an exciting career that has most recently led her from Saskatchewan to a new role with Moosehead Breweries as Vice President of Operations.

As Amanda settles into her new role at Moosehead, she is focused on understanding the history of one of Canada's most iconic brands and building on its  success.  She is passionate about process optimization and innovation, and enjoys problem solving and restoration - she loves taking something old and using it in a new and different way resulting in win-win scenarios. 

Amanda’s role is to provide strategic direction and creative insight into how her team can make the highest quality beer possible in the most efficient way. She also wants to leverage the Moosehead brand to attract and retain an amazing team of people.  

A Newfoundland native, who has lived coast to coast in Canada as well as in Boston and Scotland, Amanda, her husband Will and two children Geoffrey and Eila now call Quispamsis home. Having only been in greater Saint John for just over a month, Amanda and her family have been taking advantage of the good weather to explore the parks and beaches in the region. 

“One of the big differences between Saskatoon and Saint John is the better balance of seasons.  Here there are four distinct seasons. Saskatoon has really beautiful long summers with a great growing season where my family took advantage of the lakes and hot weather, but the winters were really awful with cold stretches that saw days with temperatures of -40.”

Amanda knows it takes effort to move to a new community.  “You have to be willing to come out of your shell,” says Amanda. “People here genuinely want to get to know you. When you take a cab in Saint John you sit up front with the driver because you know there will be conversation. You have to open yourself up to others.”

She likes Saint John’s small town feel and that it has all the amenities of a larger centre. “Everything you need is just a stone’s throw away,” she said.  “ You have the ocean and the river.  It's all very beautiful. It is a great size city where everyone has been very welcoming.”

Saint John is a diverse and growing community where companies are attracting newcomers from within Canada and around the globe. Are you interested in living and working in Greater Saint John, send us your resume! And if you know of someone else who has just moved to Saint John for work, connect us at [email protected].