Richard Burrows
Richard Burrows | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 16, 1946 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Business executive |
| Known for | Chairman of British American Tobacco, CEO of Irish Distillers, Chairman of Craven House Capital |
Richard George William Burrows (born 16 January 1946) is a prominent Irish entrepreneur. He held the position of chairman at British American Tobacco plc (BAT), recognized as the leading tobacco company worldwide by sales volume, and previously served as chief executive officer of Irish Distillers. In October 2016, Burrows took on the role of chairman at Craven House Capital, an AIM-listed company focused on investments related to restructuring, growth, and turnaround strategies within economies undergoing crisis or transition.
Early life
Burrows completed his education at Wesley College (Dublin).
Career
At 17, Burrows started his professional journey with the accounting firm Stokes Brothers & Pim, which later became part of KPMG. During this period, he was assigned to Irish Distillers to assist with a planned merger involving Waterford Glass, P.J. Carroll & Co., and the Irish Glass Bottle Company. In 1971, he joined Irish Distillers permanently and advanced to the role of chief executive by 1978. Following the acquisition of Irish Distillers by Pernod-Ricard S.A. in 1988, Burrows assumed the position of joint CEO at Pernod-Ricard.
In 2006, he was named Governor (chairman) of the Bank of Ireland, a post he held until his resignation in June 2009. Later that year, in September 2009, Burrows became a non-executive director on British American Tobacco's board and was appointed chairman effective from 1 November 2009. He stepped down from BAT’s board during the Annual General Meeting in April 2021, with Luc Jobin succeeding him.
Honours and awards
In June 1996, Burrows was honored with the title of Chevalier in the French Legion of Honour.