Paul Walsh | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 15 May 1955 |
| Education | Royton and Crompton School[2] Oldham College[3] |
| Alma mater | Manchester Polytechnic[4] |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Years active | 1976 to present |
| Known for | Seagram acquisition, divestment of Pillsbury and Burger King businesses |
| Board member of | Compass FedEx Corporation Unilever Avanti Communications McDonald's Corporation |
| Spouse | Julie Lewis Walsh (18 May 2013 – present) |
Paul Steven Walsh (born 15 May 1955) is an English businessman who is the executive chairman of the McLaren Group. He was the chief executive of Diageo, the world's largest whisky company, for twelve years between 2000 and 2013.
Walsh was criticised in the press for what was seen as his excessive remuneration, but received admiration for his ability to build brands.[5] He spent the majority of his career at Diageo and its precursor Grand Metropolitan. His most notable decision was the acquisition of the Seagram drinks company, which added Captain Morgan rum and Crown Royal Canadian whisky to Diageo's roster of brands.
Walsh's tenure in charge of Diageo closely mirrored his behaviour as head of the Pillsbury food business: selling off non-essential assets such as Burger King and aggressively marketing a select number of "core" brands. He was disciplined regarding prices paid for the acquisition of assets. Towards the end of his Diageo career, he increased the company's exposure to developing markets such as India and China.
In February 2014 Walsh became the non-executive chairman of Compass Group, the world's largest catering company. His role as an advisor to Diageo ended in September 2014.
- ^ Mychasuk, Emilya (1 May 2007). "Boyish sense of adventure". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 6 May 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
- ^ "Business profile: Walsh's happy hour". The Daily Telegraph. London. 18 February 2007. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ "£70m facelift will make is word class, says college". Manchester Evening News. 18 April 2010. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
- ^ Davidson, Andrew (1 September 2004). "The MT interview: Paul Walsh". Management Today. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
- ^ Cowe, Roger (25 January 1996). "Grand Met Director May Collect £3M". The Guardian.