Diageo GB marketers set for job cuts

by Gemma Charles, marketingmagazine.co.uk 21-Apr-09, 08:35

LONDON - Diageo is to make up to 20% of its marketing positions redundant as part of a companywide plan to save £100m.

st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

The drinks firm, which owns the Smirnoff, Guinness and Baileys brands, is keen to protect its staff in emerging markets, so most of the cuts are being made in more developed areas, such as its GB operation.

According to sources, several marketers left the business before Easter; a second round of redundancies is now due.

In Great Britain, Diageo's net sales were down 1% for the half-year to December 2008, compared with the previous six months.

It is not yet clear how the cuts will affect the company's most senior marketers, but industry sources said that Diageo's executive committee, of which chief marketing officer Andy Fennell is a member, will not be affected.

Diageo refused to comment on the level of redundancies or on whether its GB marketing director Philip Almond would be affected, citing an ongoing employee consultation exercise.