As he heads towards retirement in September, AG Barr Commercial Director Jonathan Kemp capped a phenomenal career by adding an SLR Industry Achievement Award to his trophy cabinet.
Jonathan Kemp is one of very few people in the Scottish local retailing industry who require no introduction. AG Barr’s well kent and equally well liked and admired Commercial Director has been the driving force behind Scotland’s other national drink for more than 21 years but his time at the business is coming to an end in September as he takes a final bow and moves on into what everyone in the industry hopes is a long and happy retirement.
While AG Barr has an extensive and successful range of products in its portfolio – and that range has grown under Kemp’s effective stewardship – there’s no doubt that Irn-Bru is the heart and soul of the business. Taking responsibility for a brand like that, however, is not a challenge you take on lightly. The word ‘iconic’ gets bandied about a lot these days but Irn-Bru is among the very few brands that can legitimately lay claim to iconic status.
Despite being born an Englishman – he was born in Corby which he believes makes him half English and half Scottish! – he took to the challenge like a duck to water. Rarely seen at public events without his Irn-Bru tartan kilt, he has skilfully navigated his way through the many challenges that he has faced in those 21 years and manages always to maintain good grace and an easy smile. A great public speaker and a passionate advocate of the local retailing sector, he has made many friends in the industry, and you never have to wait long for a good story.
On the night of the SLR Awards, for example, he revealed that the kilt he was wearing was the actual one worn by the actor in the recent ‘Mannschaft’ ad. He went on to explain that, in between the ad being shot and the SLR Awards, the only other person to have worn it was a certain Ally McCoist.
The last 21 years have been transformative for Irn-Bru and indeed AG Barr and there’s no doubt that Kemp has steered the ship formidably through good times and bad. He will be greatly missed, of that there is no doubt. We wish him a healthy and long retirement.
