John Kelly
JOHN KELLY, CEO, is a highly respected drinks industry veteran, with over 30 years’ experience in the sector, including 22 years with Diageo, where he held senior roles in sales, marketing and general management within Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. John also worked with Walsh Whiskey in Carlow, Ireland.
In 2021, John joined Belfast Distillery Company as CEO and is building the team, bringing distilling back to Belfast in the repurposed Crumlin Road Gaol.
In his spare time, John enjoys playing golf, coaching, and ferrying his children around to their various sports events, and best of all, watching from the sidelines.
May 18, 2025
Reviving the Spirits of Belfast with McConnell’s Whisky CEO John Kelly
Join us in jail, or is it gaol, as in the Crumlin Road Gaol, the last Victorian era prison relic in Northern Ireland, now being put to better use as the home of the Belfast Distillery Company, working to revive the classic ol...