Diageo Names New General Counsel And Company Secretary

Spirits giant Diageo has announced the appointment of Tom Shropshire as its new general counsel and company secretary.

Shropshire succeeds Siobhán Moriarty, who is to retire from the company in September after 24 years of service.

Moriarty joined Diageo in 1997 and was appointed general counsel in 2013.

She assumed the combined role of general counsel and company secretary in 2018.

An Instrumental Role

Moriarty has played an instrumental role 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.

She was also responsible for many pivotal investments and joint ventures around the world, including ground-breaking acquisitions in the US, India, China and Turkey.

Diageo added that she redefined the role of the legal function, bringing greater commercial focus and making a valuable contribution to Diageo’s long-term performance.

'Outstanding Contribution'

Commenting on her retirement, Diageo chief executive, Ivan Menezes, said, “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.”

Moriarty advocates for inclusion and diversity, and social mobility in Diageo and the legal profession and has been recognised externally for her efforts as a leader.

She was part of the Financial Times list of top 20 global General Counsel, as well as in the FT and HERoes Champions of Women in Business lists in 2017 and 2018.

'A Recognised Expert'

Shropshire currently serves as Partner & Global US Practice Head, Linklaters LLP, and 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 - an independent review led by Sir John Parker into the ethnic diversity of UK boards. He was also the principal author of Parker Review’s ‘Beyond One by ’21’ report, published in 2017.

Shropshire 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, Diageo added.

Menezes welcomed Shropshire to Diageo and said, “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.”