Great-grandson of Irn-Bru founder leaves drinks group after 62 years
Great-grandson of Irn-Bru founder Robin Barr leaves the Scottish drinks group after 62 years
The great-grandson of Irn Bru-maker founder AG Barr will leave the company after one of the longest spells in the company’s history.
Robin Barr, the descendant of Robert Barr, who founded the Scottish soft drink company in 1875, will step down from the board at the next annual general meeting in May.
The 85-year-old – one of only three people in the world to know the recipe for Irn Bru – has been working in the family business for 62 years since joining the company in the early 1960s.
Long term: Robin Barr (pictured), the descendant of Robert Barr, who founded the Scottish soda company in 1875, will step down from the board in May
He served on the board for 58 years, including 31 years as chairman, before stepping down in 2009 to become a non-executive director.
Barr, head of the family dynasty, remains AG Barr’s largest shareholder with a 15 per cent stake worth nearly £90 million.
AG Barr Chairman Mark Allen said: “We owe Robin a huge debt of gratitude for all his years of service, not to mention the balanced and insightful guidance he has provided the Board of Directors as the company has evolved over the past 60 years .’
As part of succession planning, the Scottish company announced that Robin’s daughter Julie Barr would step down from her role as company secretary and join the board at the May AGM.
After her father’s departure, she will be the only remaining member of the Barr family on the board.
AG Barr reported a profit increase of 5.2 per cent to £44.4 million for the year ended January 29, while sales rose 18.2 per cent to £318 million.
The numbers were boosted by price increases as the group tried to offset rising costs of raw materials such as packaging, glass and the carbon dioxide used to add effervescence to drinks.