Regional counsel | Diageo
Richard Kindred
Regional counsel | Diageo
Senior legal counsel – ISC, global supply, Japan and consumer experiences UK and Ireland | Diageo
After completing his law degree, Richard Kindred trained with law firm Cleaver Fulton Rankin in Belfast and qualified into the corporate and commercial department before moving to the corporate team...
‘Versatile and solution-orientated’, regional counsel Richard Kindred has been with Diageo for over five years and has gained broad experience in that time working in Ireland, Canada and Nigeria in various roles with diverse teams and issues ranging from marketing and sales to supply chain, compliance and data privacy. In his current role he leads the provision of legal advice to Diageo’s International Supply Centre (ISC) which brings together all of Diageo’s spirits and beer production operations in Europe and includes the production of world renowned brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff, and Gordon’s comprising over 70 production sites and more than 4,000 employees. Kindred concedes: ‘I pride myself on effectively partnering with the business to deliver required outcomes and providing fantastic advice and leadership on key issues’. Kindred is praised for being very pragmatic, solution focussed and for fully understanding stakeholder and business needs. He is described by peers as ‘a really strong team player, with really good views and opinions on all business issues’. Kindred previously worked for two top commercial law firms in Ireland before moving in-house. Since joining Diageo he has worked in Diageo’s sales, supply and global functions across multiple jurisdictions. This has involved managing a wide range of complex legal matters, developing successful working relationships with key stakeholders as well as providing leadership and guidance on challenging compliance issues. Kindred takes pride in leading and coaching junior lawyers and forming part of a number of successful leadership teams responsible for business performance.