Siobhán Moriarty, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diageo plc, to retire from the company

Today, Diageo plc (‘Diageo’) has announced that Siobhán Moriarty, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diageo plc, is to retire from the company in September after 24 years of service. Tom Shropshire, currently a Partner & Global US Practice Head at Linklaters LLP, will succeed Siobhán as General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diageo plc.

Siobhán joined Diageo in 1997 and was appointed General Counsel in 2013, taking on the combined role of General Counsel & Company Secretary in 2018. Siobhán has been instrumental in the making of today’s Diageo, beginning with her work on the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan to create the company in 1997, followed by many pivotal investments and joint ventures around the world, including ground-breaking acquisitions in the US, India, China and Turkey. Siobhán redefined the role of the legal function, bringing greater commercial focus and making a valuable contribution to Diageo’s long-term performance. Siobhán is also a passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity and social mobility in Diageo and the legal profession and has been recognised externally for her leadership role, including in the Financial Times list of top 20 global General Counsel and in the 2017 and 2018 FT and HERoes Champions of Women in Business lists.

Born in New York, Tom studied political science and international relations at the University of Southern California. He gained his law degree and an MBA from New York University, before joining Linklaters LLP in 1998. In 2006, Tom was elected partner and advises some of the world’s largest companies on corporate M&A, capital markets transactions, corporate governance, controls, enterprise risk and resilience. As a partner and member of the executive committee at Linklaters LLP, he also shares responsibility for global strategy and the financial and operating performance of the firm.

Tom is a recognised expert in corporate sustainability and has worked extensively with the United Nations Global Compact. He is a member of the Steering Committee for The Parker Review, the independent review led by Sir John Parker into the ethnic diversity of UK boards, and in 2017, was the principal author of Parker Review’s ‘Beyond One by ’21’ report. Tom is also a trustee of Comic Relief and has been named one of the leading minority ethnic executives in the US and UK by EMpower and The Financial Times.

Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, Diageo, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Tom to Diageo. His leadership and wealth of experience in corporate advisory, M&A and capital markets, along with his passion and advocacy for sustainability, inclusion and diversity, will make him a great asset for our Executive team and Board. I would also like to pay tribute to Siobhán’s outstanding contribution to Diageo ever since the creation of the company in 1997. She has expertly led our legal function, supporting the transformation of the company with her strong sense of purpose and professionalism.”

Siobhán Moriarty commented: “I have had a wonderful career at Diageo, supported by a great team. I wish Tom every success as he joins the company.”

Tom Shropshire commented: “I have long admired Diageo’s fabulous brands and the ambition to be one of the world’s best companies. As well as supporting its continued growth, I am also excited to join a company that has a strong purpose and shares my values, including championing diversity and inclusion across its entire business and beyond, and to help deliver its pioneering societal and environmental commitments globally.”

Source: Diageo