Former Heineken boss takes helm at city theatre

THE former boss of brewing giant Heineken Ireland has been appointed the interim executive director of Cork Opera House.

Accountant Padraic Liston replaces Gerry Barnes, who announced his resignation on Thursday night after 20 years at the helm.

Despite rumours of a boardroom heave against Mr Barnes, sources described his departure as “amicable”. He will receive a severance package, the details of which are subject to a confidentiality clause.

Mr Liston was introduced to Opera House staff and met its management team yesterday. But he has already begun an examination of the company’s finances with a view to developing a business plan.

He faces a difficult task as the theatre struggles to cope with the recession, and its apparent failure to attract leading promoters and popular acts.

The chairman of the board of Cork Opera House, Damian Wallace, said Mr Liston has a proven track record at the highest level in business. “It is a great boost to the organisation at this stage,” he said.

Board member Gerald Kean, who declined to comment on the theatre’s financial position, said it needs to start making money to ensure it can “stand on its own”.

“We need to open up the Opera House to the people of Cork,” he said.

“We need to respect the cultural aspects of the theatre but at the same time, embrace the commercial side. And I think Padraic is the man to do it.”

Fellow board member, Lord Mayor Cllr Dara Murphy, said Mr Liston will bring a wealth of experience to the role, and he thanked Mr Barnes for his contribution to the theatre over two decades.

Ballybunion-born Mr Liston is a former teacher and a brother of Kerry GAA legend Eoin “Bomber” Liston who cut his teeth in the drinks trade in his family’s pub in the town.

He studied at UCC from 1972 to 1976 and trained as a chartered accountant with KPMG until 1983.

He became the financial controller of the Ridge Tool Company where he worked from 1983 to 1989, before he joined Heineken Ireland, where he worked in the finance and sales division.

He held several key management roles before he was appointed the managing director of Heineken Ireland in 1998, a position he held until March 2003.

He was widely credited with helping to bring the Murphy’s Irish Open Golf Championship to his native Ballybunion in 2000.

During his time with the company, sales grew to €300 million a year, securing the lager’s status as Irish market leader.

He left the brewing giant in 2003 to become the group commercial director of the Musgrave Group, where he worked until 2008.

He is currently a non executive chairman of Heineken Ireland and a non executive director of the Mercy University Hospital in Cork city.

Cork Opera House is a non-profit plc with charitable status. Cork City Council is the theatre’s largest shareholder with a 39% stake.

Last month, the council went guarantor for a €1.5m loan which is being sought by the Opera House. The theatre must also seek the approval of the city council for any borrowing, including overdraft accumulation, over €300,000.

The Opera House reported losses last September of just over €83,000 for the financial year ending in March 2009, having reported a profit of just over €49,000 the previous year. Turnover was also down 10% – from €6.3m in 2008 to €5.6m last year.