Comment: Resigned Magners man heading for a cider farm near you?
There's a certain irony that comes into play with the news of Magners UK managing director John Holberry resigning.
His departure comes as a result of former Scottish and Newcastle (S&N) people taking the top jobs at the cider producer's parent company C&C. Likewise, these S&N people left their jobs working on brands including Bulmers and Strongbow because of newcomers infiltrating that company.
Explaining his resignation, Holberry pointed to "the appointment of the new management team", which "reduces the opportunities for me to develop my career" within C&C. The people blocking his path in its new management, including chief executive John Dunsmore, have largely jumped ship from S&N.
They were spurred on to make their move by the same phenomenon that has done for Holberry. Through Heineken's takeover of S&N, men — in this case, Dutchmen — had brought their influence to bear on the organisation. Working with the new guys didn't appeal to Paul Bartlett and Stephen Glancey (then both S&N execs, now Magners marketing director and finance officer respectively).
Holberry is not the first high-profile figure to leave the new-look Magners. Marketing director Maurice Breen was also a casualty of the C&C restructure. Holberry compared the situation to a football club with too many centre forwards. Some had to go.
Presumably the whole process will continue further down the cider-producing chain, and a cider farm somewhere will lose its current management when Holberry and some of his Magners chums join up. Or have I been hitting the scrumpy?
