Our Leadership Team
Nodjame Fouad
Chairman and CEO
Nodjame Fouad has worked in various roles across the Pernod Ricard group for almost 10 years, including senior roles in The Absolut Company and Global Travel Retail. She previously held the position of President and CEO of Pernod Ricard Japan, before taking up the role as Chairman and CEO of Irish Distillers in 2022.
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
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.
Benjamin Granger
Chief Financial Officer
Benjamin Granger is Chief Financial Officer at Irish Distillers, a role he has held since 2021.
Prior to his role as CFO at Irish Distillers, Benjamin was CFO for Pernod Ricard Northern Europe, the Group affiliate responsible for the distribution activities in the Nordic and Baltic countries.
Benjamin holds a Master’s in Finance from ESCP Europe Business School in Paris, where he began his career in Investment Banking – first at Lehman Brothers and later at Nomura and Rothschild – advising a wide range of clients on different transactions.