Diageo Northern Ireland to cut 60 jobs
Baileys owner Diageo plans to outsource some of its roles in Northern Ireland to India, which would result in around 60 job losses.
Diageo Northern Ireland’s facilities include a packaging plant and headquarters in Belfast, plus the Baileys global supply plant in Mallusk.
In 2023, Diageo secured planning permission for a £26 million (US$33m) expansion of its Baileys production site. This is set to continue as planned, The Spirits Business understands.
A Diageo spokesperson said: “In order to support Diageo’s future growth ambition and to optimise our customer support processes, we propose to consolidate some commercial operations capabilities from Diageo Northern Ireland into our Commercial Experience Centre of Excellence in India.
“This proposed transition may impact a number of commercial operations roles at Diageo Northern Ireland, and we are committed to supporting our employees through a comprehensive consultation process and provide support during this transition period.”
On a media call in August following the release of Diageo’s full-year financial results – which showed a 1.7% increase in net sales – interim CEO Nik Jhangiani said there would be some job cuts across the company as part of its cost-saving plan.
Diageo – whose portfolio also includes Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky, Smirnoff vodka, Tanqueray and Gordon’s gins, Don Julio and Casamigos Tequilas, and Bulleit Bourbon – has set a savings target of approximately US$625m in the next three years, which is part of its Accelerate Programme.
The programme will create savings through smarter reinvestments, optimising A&P (advertising and promotion) spend and leveraging AI-driven content production.
Speaking during the call, Jhangiani said: “In terms of the increased cost savings to US$625m over the next three years, I think this is just continued work that we’ve been doing since May, as we continue to refine areas where we can unlock more savings opportunities.
“This is really not about job cuts or elimination of roles. Yes, there will be some, but that’s not what this will be about. This is about really freeing up resources and dollars where we can reinvest for the business.”
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