The right man at St James’s Gate

Barely had the presidential plane taken off and Diageo warned of job losses at the old Guinness heartland in St James’s Gate, leaving a bitter taste for some and a challenge for Diageo Ireland MD John Kennedy, writes Kyran Fitzgerald

IT was one small sip for Barack Obama — and one hell of a marketing coup for Diageo Ireland and its Irish-American managing director John Kennedy.

When the US President and his wife, Michelle, opted for Guinness as their afternoon refreshment of choice, Diageo bosses will have jumped with joy whereas their rivals, Heineken, must have wondered when their products, Murphys and Beamish, will be given a decent break by the international image makers.