Our leadership

Conor McQuaid, CEO of Pernod Ricard (USA & Canada)

He holds a degree in International Marketing & Spanish from Dublin City University (Ireland) and Universidad de Sevilla in Spain. Having begun his career in Ireland with Golden Vale Group plc, Conor joined Irish Distillers Pernod Ricard in 1998, and has held serveral leadership roles across the company over the last 25 years.

As a member of the Executive Committee (and COMEX) since 2015, he has contributed to shaping the Pernod Ricard business strategy, including in his most recent role as Executive Vice President S&R, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs since July 2022. He was previously Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Irish Distillers.

While leading Irish Distillers, Mr. McQuaid guided the brand to continued global success, prioritizing the growth of the full portfolio of Irish whiskeys led by Jameson.

Colin Kavanagh, Chief Marketing Officer

Colin has over 25 years of strong international marketing experience in businesses across Pernod Ricard, including Irish Distillers, Corby Spirit and Wine, Pernod Ricard Brazil, TAC, and our Global HQ in Paris. His role is to accelerate the development of consumer-centric marketing strategies for our portfolio of leading premium wine and spirit brands.

John Barrett, SVP, Chief Commercial Officer

John is an experienced general management executive with a proven track record of achievement and innovation. In his previous role at KITES Advisors, he provided strategic counsel to multiple new startup opportunities. He has also been responsible for Go-to-Market and Transformation for the Frito Lay Division of PepsiCo, John has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Western Ontario, majoring in Economics.

Brian Chevlin, General Counsel (North America)

Brian leads Pernod Ricard’s North America’s legal department in New York and the government/public affairs group in Washington D.C. He is responsible for overseeing the company's legal and compliance operations in the United States. He has more than 18 years of senior in-house, and seven years of private practice experience including a broad range of corporate and M&A matters and legal compliance.

Craig Johnson, Head of the American Whiskey Collective

A true spirits marketing veteran, including 17 years at Pernod Ricard, Craig has worked across multiple businesses and brands including as Global Brand Director for Malibu, Kahlùa and Absolut, and CMO for Global Travel retail. In his role leading the American Whiskey Collective, he is responsible for driving global growth, achieving business objectives, and leading strategy development for Pernod Ricard’s American whiskey brands.

Pierre Joncourt, SVP, Operations (North America)

Pierre has worked for Pernod Ricard for more than 20 years, including as VP (Cognac) for Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët. In his current role he leads a team dedicated to managing the complexities of the supply chain, improving speed to market for the new products which are so important in the North American market. He is a graduate of ENSAIA in Nancy, France, and was involved in the EMEA Pernod Ricard Mentor program in both 2018 and 2019.

Lani Montoya, SVP, Human Resources

Lani has been with Pernod Ricard for over 15 years, most recently leading Global Talent Management and Diversity & Inclusion in Paris. In that role she made significant strides towards achieving Pernod Ricard's goal to become the industry's most inclusive, diverse, and sustainable company. Previously, she was HR Director for the Americas Travel Retail division. Lani has a master’s degree in leadership & strategic management from Manhattanville College in New York. 

Anu Rao, SVP, Communications and Sustainability

Over more than 20 years has led high-level marketing and communications strategy across the wines & spirits industry, including Moet Hennessy, Bacardi, and Diageo, as well as roles at Heineken USA, PUMA, and Johnson & Johnson. She drives impactful results and delivers cultural change, share of voice, relevance, and business growth. Anu holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, with a minor in Sociology, from The George Washington University. 

Milagros Talabucon, VP, IT Solutions, PRNA Proximity

Mila defines and delivers IT strategy and capabilities across the region, leading a dynamic team of IT professionals, and support Pernod Ricard’s global digital transformation, IT strategy and roadmap. Her previous role was at Chanel as Head of IT - Digital and Enterprise Architecture. She has also worked at Redcats USA (a Kering company), Coach, L’Occitane and more. Mila co-founded Jimac Inc., a retail consulting and development company in the Philippines.

Vincent Turpin, Chief Finance Officer

Vincent joined Pernod Ricard in 2005 as Group Business Analyst, later moving to Sweden to become Business Analysis Director with The Absolut Company. In 2011 he returned to his native France as CFO for Ricard SA, later also assuming responsibility for Pernod SA. Following three years as CFO for Chivas Brothers in London, he has been in his current role since October 2020. Vincent holds a degree in Finance from ESSEC Business School in Paris.