Our Leadership Team
Conor McQuaid
Chairman and CEO
Conor joined Irish Distillers in 1998 and after a successful career with Pernod Ricard in South Africa and France, he returned to Ireland to take on the role of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Irish Distillers in 2018. He has played a pivotal role in the renaissance of Irish whiskey and the global success of Jameson Irish whiskey.
Claire Tolan
Managing Director of Commercial Ireland
Claire began her career in Irish whiskey in 1998 when she joined the Jameson Graduate Programme as brand ambassador in San Francisco. She went on to hold a number of key commercial roles in Pernod Ricard USA before returning to Irish Distillers in 2007. Most recently, she served as Managing Director Brand Homes and Education at Irish Distillers, overseeing the €11 million redevelopment of Jameson Distillery Bow Street. Today, Claire is responsible for the distribution of the Pernod Ricard portfolio of premium wines and spirits on the island of Ireland.
Tommy Keane
Production Director
Tommy leads the production division of Irish Distillers which includes distillation, maturation, bottling, supply chain and central laboratories in Midleton, Co. Cork and at our Fox and Geese bottling facility in Dublin. Tommy joined the company in 1985 and prior to his current role, he held a number of engineering and project management roles.
Kathryn D’Arcy
Corporate Affairs Director
Kathryn joined Irish Distillers in 2021 with over 15 years’ experience working in the Irish drinks industry, having held the position of Director of the Alcohol and Beverage Federation of Ireland and Corporate Affairs Director at HEINEKEN Ireland.
Colm Maguire
HR Director
Colm has worked for Irish Distillers since 2000. He held a variety of finance functions, including serving as financial controller of Irish Distillers for four years, before taking on his current role. Colm was appointed to the position of Human Resources Director in 2012, and today he is responsible for all of Irish Distillers’ human resources activities
Jean-Baptiste Briot
Finance Director
Jean-Baptiste has more than 20 years’ experience working in finance within Pernod Ricard and is responsible for financial planning and risk, supporting Irish Distillers’ global growth. Jean-Baptiste joined Pernod Ricard in 1998 as HQ Business Development Manager. In 2002, he was appointed CFO of Pernod Ricard Taiwan, later becoming CFO of Pernod Ricard China in 2006, and Pernod Ricard Group Financial Control Director in 2011.
Simon Fay
Business Acceleration Director
Simon started his Irish Distillers journey in 1998 when he joined the Jameson Graduate Programme as brand ambassador based in South Africa. Since then, he has held various commercial positions, including Brand Director of Jameson for Pernod Ricard, USA and International Brand Development Director. In this current role, Simon is responsible for overseeing the deployment of Irish Distillers’ global brand strategy and revenue growth management across key international markets.
Brendan Buckley
International Marketing Director
Before joining Irish Distillers, Brendan was involved in two successful alcohol and beverage start-up ventures in Ireland and the US. He joined Irish Distillers in 2001, holding a number of roles before becoming Marketing Director for Irish Distillers’ domestic portfolio. In 2008, Brendan joined the International Marketing team. Today, Brendan is responsible for the global development of Irish Distiller’s portfolio of Irish whiskeys and innovation strategy.
Ailsa Mapplebeck
Legal Director
Ailsa holds a Bachelor of Law in Scots Law from the University of Dundee and has a graduate diploma in Law from the College of Law, London. She started her law career in 1988. In 2010, she joined Chivas Brothers Ltd as Legal Manager and went on to become Senior Corporate Counsel for the firm before joining Irish Distillers as Legal Director in 2018.