E-Malt.com News article: Ireland: Diageo proposes 150 jobs cuts in Ireland

London-headquartered Diageo notified Ireland’s Department of Enterprise of “proposed collective redundancies” on 22 June, a spokesperson for the government department confirmed, The Spirits Business reported on June 24.

It is understood that around 150 jobs at Diageo’s Irish business could be impacted.

In February, Diageo CEO Dave Lewis pinpointed three immediate priorities: build competitive category strategies by winning with relevant brands, a focus on the customer, and a redesign of the Diageo operating framework.

In a statement addressing the job cuts in Ireland, a Diageo spokesperson said: “In February [interims] we shared our intention to redesign our operating framework, to drive sustainable returns for shareholders by delivering a more competitive Diageo.

“We will always prioritise informing our colleagues of any organisational changes first and have committed to update shareholders on our progress at a Capital Markets Day on 6 August.”

In September, Diageo revealed plans to outsource some of its roles in Northern Ireland to India, which would result in around 60 job losses. It came a month before Diageo confirmed that it would slash some jobs.

The latest move follows a report last month that claims Lewis, who joined Diageo at the start of 2026, has ‘instructed his top executives to cut headcount and other costs in their departments’.

Diageo currently employs more than 29,000 people worldwide, according to its website. In Ireland, the company has approximately 1,200 employees across brewing, liqueurs production, marketing, sales and commercial support.

Diageo produces its Irish cream liqueur Baileys, Guinness and Roe & Co whiskey in Ireland. More than 80% of the ingredients and package used to make Baileys are sourced from Ireland.

Last summer, Diageo’s Dublin-based distillery Roe & Co paused production to “optimise resources and support the sustainable future growth of our business”.

The world’s biggest spirits company has faced disappointing results in recent years. Organic sales for the firm’s third quarter (January-March 2026) were up by only 0.3% year on year.

In its third-quarter results, Diageo’s European sales increased by 8.8%, which it attributed to Guinness in Britain and Ireland.

For the last six months of 2025, Diageo’s organic sales in Ireland were up by 1.3%, driven by Guinness. Diageo said the market also delivered resilient market share gains in spirits and total beverage alcohol in a declining environment.

Over the period, the Baileys brand saw a 1% drop in organic sales and a 2% volume decrease. Guinness, on the other hand, was up by 11% in organic sales.

Baileys is the world’s biggest-selling liqueur, according to The Brand Champions 2026 report. Data provided by Diageo showed Baileys volumes fell by 9.9% to 7.5 million nine-litre cases in 2025.


24 June, 2026