Initially chairman then CEO, Imerman instituted an aggressive cost-cutting programme[3] and bought out 60 shareholder employees[3] before, in 2005, purchasing the remaining interests in the firm with the Tchenguiz brothers.

[6][7][8] Regulators in the UK were investigating whether to force United to divest itself of Whyte & Mackay before the sale due to anti-trust concerns over Diageo's dominant position in Scotch whisky production.

[16][17][18] Whyte & Mackay operates several distilleries is Scotland:[19] The company sells Single Malt and Blended Scotch whiskies, Liqueurs, and Vodkas.

Bottles of Whyte & Mackay were recovered by underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence from the shipwreck of the SS Regina, which had been sunk in Lake Huron in 1913.

A People magazine article that told of the recovery, had a picture of Spence on the bow of the salvage boat hoisting a full bottle of Whyte and Mackay.