Tennent’s owner C&C Group sets November date for new chief executive joining

Tennent’s owner C&C Group today confirmed that its new chief executive would be joining the firm on 2 November.
David Forde is a veteran of global beer giant Heineken.David Forde is a veteran of global beer giant Heineken.
David Forde is a veteran of global beer giant Heineken.

Last month, the company revealed that David Forde, who has served as the boss of Heineken UK for the past seven years and been with the beer-maker for 32 years, was set to join the Irish group at the latest in early 2021, after seeing out his notice period.

He will now take up the role of group chief executive on 2 November and will join the board as an executive director on the same date. At the same time, Stewart Gilliland will revert to the role of non-executive chairman.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Forde, who played a key role in Heineken’s acquisition of Edinburgh-based Scottish & Newcastle in 2008, said last month: “I am extremely excited to be joining C&C, a company with great people, loved brands and a world class distribution infrastructure.

“I look forward, together with my new colleagues and the board, to further building the business into the future.”

Gilliland added: “Following a thorough evaluation of exceptional candidates for the position, we believe David has the requisite blend of brands, distribution and pub sector expertise to maximise the potential of our iconic brands and optimise the potential of our distribution capabilities.”

C&C also announced the appointment of Patrick McMahon, current group strategy director, as group chief financial officer to succeed Jonathan Solesbury, who intends to step down at the start of September.

In June, C&C revealed it was losing some €7 million (£6.2m) a month while pubs and restaurants were closed during the coronavirus lockdown. The firm, whose portfolio includes Magners, said this was after €5m a month in support for furloughed staff.

Read More
Tennent’s owner to open major new 50,000 sq ft distribution centre in Edinburgh

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director