William Grant & Sons, the Glenfiddich and Famous Grouse distiller, has finally commented on Søren Hagh’s resignation as chief executive.
The company issued a “termination of appointment” notice to Companies House on 31 October, but the first public comment came in a brief statement issued just before noon today.
It stated: “Søren Hagh has resigned as CEO of the company after two years leading the business. The board wishes him well in his future endeavours.
“Going forward, Graeme Jenkins (CFO) and Doug Bagley (CCO) will provide leadership and be responsible for managing the company’s business with the support of the executive board.”
There was no explanation for Mr Hagh’s departure nor any indication that a new chief executive will be appointed.
Just last month he gave an interview to a trade publication in which he spoke in bullish terms about his ambitions for the family-owned business.
“We really believe that single malts are in for a renaissance and we want to be the lighthouse of that movement with our brands,” he said.
“We want the whole category to be successful, but we think we are the right company to take a lead in creating the next big wave for single malt whisky.”
Mr Hagh joined William Grant from Heineken where he had worked for ten years.
The whisky company’s head of communications, Alan Harris, has just announced he is joining Heineken in a similar role based at its new Edinburgh head office. This has fuelled some suggestions that Mr Hagh may also be returning to the Dutch company.
He took up the William Grant post on 1 January 2024, immediately following his departure from the Dutch brewer. He succeeded Glenn Gordon, who stayed on as a non-executive director.
Prior to joining Heineken, Mr Hagh worked with L’Oréal in both marketing and in-market distribution management roles, as well as in marketing for Lego.
In July, William Grant & Sons reported a 30% fall in pre-tax profit to £388m and a 6.5% decline in turnover to £1.834 billion for the year ending 31 December 2024. The figures were in line with market trends.
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