C&C group appoints former boss of British brewery as chairman

IRISH drinks group C&C has further internationalised its board of directors by announcing the appointment of Brian Stewart as its next chairman, succeeding Tony O’Brien, who is retiring after nearly 30 years with the group.

Mr Stewart will formally become an independent non-executive director and chairman designate of C&C as of March 9. He will be appointed non-executive chairman at C&C’s annual general meeting on August 5, when Mr O’Brien, who was chief executive for 20 years and non-executive chairman for a further eight years, formally retires.

The new chairman brings strong industry experience to C&C. He is already well-known to the Dublin-headquartered group’s current Anglo-Scottish senior management team, having been a previous chairman and chief executive of Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) brewery – from where C&C’s current chief executive John Dunsmore, finance director, Stephen Glancey, and strategy director, Kenny Neison, joined in 2008.