Industry veteran appointed CEO at Irish distiller Church of Oak

Irish whiskey distillery Church of Oak has appointed Enda O’Sullivan arsenic its caller CEO.

O’Sullivan comes to the relation with implicit 2 decades of acquisition successful the planetary drinks industry.

He astir precocious worked arsenic vice president of the planetary spirits part astatine Mark Anthony Brands International successful Dublin, joining the concern successful 2020.

Prior to that, O’Sullivan spent 10 years astatine Scottish family-owned distiller William Grant & Sons, holding respective elder roles.

These positions included managing manager for the Latin America portion based successful Mexico City and planetary marque manager for the Glenfiddich, Grant’s Whisky, and Sailor Jerry Rum brands.

His aboriginal vocation included overseeing the Schweppes portfolio astatine Asahi Beverages successful Australia, and moving successful income and selling with Irish dairy radical Ornua, helping to turn the Kerrygold marque successful Germany.

Church of Oak is inactive yet to bring products to market, having focused connected the “extensive redevelopment” of its distillery tract Ballykelly Mills - a 200-year-old erstwhile mill and malthouse successful Monasterevin, County Kildare - since it was founded successful 2019.

The distillery's main shareholders are Irish singer-songwriter Paul David Hewson (best known arsenic Bono from the set U2) and businessman Paddy McKillen Snr.

The institution has been making its whiskey since 2022, and told Just Drinks that accumulation is present astatine an “advanced stage”.

Church of Oak declined to corroborate erstwhile it expects its archetypal products to motorboat oregon which markets it plans to target.

While it doesn't merchantability immoderate products for now, the concern said it was "developing super-premium Irish Whiskey, and has planetary ambitions".

Commenting connected his appointment, O'Sullivan said: “It is simply a privilege to beryllium entrusted to enactment with the squad astatine Church of Oak. I person been truthful impressed with the extent of care, provenance and innovative reasoning that’s going into whiskey making astatine the distillery.”

O’Sullivan succeeds Garrett Pitcher, who led the institution for 8 years arsenic managing director.

During his tenure, helium oversaw the "design, readying and improvement phases" of the distillery tract Ballykelly Mills, the radical said.

Church of Oak told Just Drinks Pitcher was stepping distant from the concern “to prosecute caller opportunities”.

Reflecting connected O'Sullivan's appointment, shareholder and erstwhile Pernod Ricard enforcement Richard Burrows added: “Enda has extended planetary manufacture experience. His expertise and enactment volition beryllium invaluable arsenic we bring Church of Oak to the adjacent level.”

"Industry seasoned appointed CEO astatine Irish distiller Church of Oak " was primitively created and published by Just Drinks, a GlobalData owned brand.