Changes To The Pernod Ricard Executive Committee

NEW YORK, Nov. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Pernod Ricard announces that Paul Duffy, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard North America and a member of the Group's Executive Committee (COMEX), has declared his intention to leave the group to return to Ireland. He will be replaced as of 2 December, 2019 by Ann Mukherjee, currently Chief Commercial Officer of S. C. Johnson & Son, a global family manufacturer of household and professional products. Paul will continue to serve until Ann's arrival.

On this occasion, Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, acknowledged Paul's time and commitment to Pernod Ricard over an extensive and successful career, saying "Paul will be remembered as one of our management team members who accompanied the growth of our Group over the last 25 years. We wish him the best for his return to Ireland. I am very pleased to welcome Ann to our Executive Committee. Her comprehensive marketing and commercial expertise will not only undoubtedly contribute to furthering the transformation of our ever-more consumer-oriented company, but to achieving our first and foremost objective: to accelerate our growth in our number one market, the United States."

Seperately, after 32 years of a distinguished career within Pernod Ricard, Bruno Rain will be retiring from the Group and from his role as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard Winemakers.

Bryan Fry, currently Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Pacific, has been appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, replacing Bruno with effect December 2nd, 2019. He will report into Christian Porta, Group Managing Director of Global Business Development, and will be a member of the Group's Executive Committee (COMEX). Bryan's first mission will be to create the conditions to accelerate the growth of our wine business and its long-term profitability. During the coming weeks before he retires, Bruno will support the transition of the new Chairman and CEO.

Alexandre Ricard commented, "I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bruno for his commitment and contribution to the Group over the past 32 years. He has played a key role in the Group's development, both in senior positions at Group Headquarters and leading Market and Brand Companies. We wish him every success in his future endeavors."

Biographies

Paul Duffy, a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, joined Pernod Ricard in 1994 as Assistant Finance Director of the Treasury/Planning Team at Irish Distillers Limited. Three years later, he was appointed Finance Director, before being appointed Managing Director of Pernod Ricard UK in 2001. In May 2005, Paul returned to Ireland to take up the position of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Irish Distillers. During Paul's tenure, he contributed to accelerating the growth of the Jameson brand, particularly in the United States where he served as Managing Director of Pernod Ricard USA from 2008 to 2012.  He was then nominated as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the Absolut Company, only to return four years later to the United States as Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard North America, where he drove the transformation of the local US business.

Ann Mukherjee has nearly 30 years of experience in marketing and sales functions. She holds two degrees from the University of Chicago – a double Bachelor of Arts in Economics and in Religious Theology as well as an MBA in Finance from the Booth School of Business. Ann started her career in 1992 at Citibank Diners Club in the New Product Department. In 1994, she joined the Kraft Foods Group where she spent nearly 11 years managing a number of key brands such as Kraft Mac & Cheese, Kraft Singles, Taco Bell and Minute Rice, to name a few. In 2005, Ann joined PepsiCo in New York where she worked for ten years. First appointed Marketing Vice President for Quaker Snacks, Ann then became SVP and Chief Marketing Officer of Frito-Lay in 2009, and President of Global Snacks and PepsiCo Global Insights five years later. In November 2015, Ann joined S.C. Johnson & Son as the company's first-ever Global Chief Marketing Officer. Then later nominated as Global Chief Commercial Officer, she has been responsible for the $12 billion consumer global business division that is present in more than 90 markets. Ann has received many honors throughout her career, notably, she was named as one of Forbes Top 50 most influential CMOs and also as "Marketer of the Year" by Brand Week.

A graduate of HEC Business School, Bruno Rain started his career in 1984 as an Auditor for Arthur Andersen and joined Pernod Ricard in 1987 as an Internal Auditor. In 1989, he was appointed Chief Financial Officer of SEGM, before becoming Chief Financial Officer of Pernod Ricard in 1994. In early 1997, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard Argentina, and then Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard España in 2000. He returned to Paris as Managing Director, Group Human Resources in 2006. Four years later, he was also given responsibility of the Group's Corporate Social Responsibility policies. A member of Pernod Ricard's COMEX, Bruno has been based in Australia as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard Winemakers, looking after the wine business and Pacific market companies, since July 2016.

Bryan Fry holds a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Science from the University of Adelaide and a Graduate Diploma in Economics from the University of New England. After joining Orlando Wyndham Group in 1995, he was appointed National Agribusiness Manager in 1998, and his international career started when he was appointed Regional Manager Asia/Pacific for Orlando Wyndham two years later. Bryan became Global Marketing Manager, WyndhamEstate in May 2004, then moved to Hong Kong in 2006 as Vice President, Marketing of Pernod Ricard Asia before becoming President & Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard Brasil in 2009. Bryan was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard USA in 2012 and has been Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Pacific since 2016.

About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is the No.2 worldwide producer of wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9,182 million in FY19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob's Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard's brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group's decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of "Créateurs de Convivialité." As reaffirmed by the Group's three-year strategic plan, "Transform and Accelerate," deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard's strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "We bring good times from a good place." In recognition of Pernod Ricard's strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nation's Global Compact LEAD company. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

SOURCE Pernod Ricard USA