C&C Group Appoints Adam Phillips as Chief Financial Officer 

UK – C&C Group plc has announced the appointment of Adam Phillips to its Board as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, effective April 2026, as the beverages group manages a challenging consumer environment across its core markets. 

Phillips will succeed Andrew Andrea, who is set to step down from the Board on 13 March 2026.  

Andrea joined C&C in 2024 after a 21-year career at Marston’s, where he progressed from divisional finance director in 2002 to Chief Financial Officer in 2009 and later Chief Executive Officer in 2021, a role he held for two years. 

Adam Phillips joins C&C from Headlam plc, where he has served as Chief Financial Officer since March 2023. Before that, he was Group Financial Controller at Mobico Group plc between 2019 and 2023.  

His earlier experience includes several senior finance roles at Halfords Group plc, notably as Group Strategy and Investor Relations Director, where he spent six years, as well as a period at Molson Coors Brewing Company. 

Roger White, Chief Executive Officer of C&C Group, welcomed the appointment, saying: “We are delighted that Adam is joining our business. He has a highly relevant skill set and will further build the capabilities of the leadership team. I have every confidence that Adam will make an immediate impact as well as an important long-term contribution to the business.” 

The appointment comes as C&C, owner of brands including Tennents lager and Bulmers and Magners cider, recently issued a profit warning, citing weaker-than-expected sales in November and December driven by subdued consumer confidence. 

With the UK accounting for more than 80% of group sales, the company said the November budget had been a key factor behind the revision to its forecasts.  

“Our business performance was driven primarily by softer than anticipated demand in hospitality, alongside adverse product mix, as consumers continue to move away from the consumption of wine and spirits, in favour of beer, across the market,” the company said. 

C&C added that while “the Christmas fortnight was in line with expectations,” January saw “continued softness of consumer demand in the market,” which it expects to persist for the remainder of the financial year. 

As a result, the group now expects adjusted operating profit for the year, to be reported in May, to be in the range of €70 million to €73 million, reflecting lower operating profits from its distribution operations. 

Looking ahead, C&C anticipates that profits in FY27 will be broadly in line with FY26, as current macroeconomic and consumer headwinds are expected to continue.  

Despite these pressures, the group confirmed that its plan to return €150 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks over the three fiscal years to 2027 remains unchanged, with €92 million already returned. 

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