Bachelor of Commerce graduate and Executive Vice President of The Coca-Cola Company, Irial Finan took time during a business trip to Ireland this week to visit his Alma Mater, the J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics at NUI Galway.

Mr Finan, who is also President of the Bottling Investments Group and Supply Chain, was on hand to talk to students of the Masters in International Management, passing on his valuable expertise in the arena of international management.

The Roscommon native is responsible for managing a multi-billion dollar internal bottling business, the Bottling Investments Group (BIG), which has operations on four continents, with revenues of over $8 billion and employs in excess of 60,000 people. Additionally, he is responsible for stewarding the Company's equity investments.

Dr Paul Ryan, Programme Director of the MSc (International Management) was delighted to have Mr Finan address the class saying,“The aim of the programme has always been to bring real learning into the class room. The insights he was able to provide, leading a company with a portfolio featuring 15 billion dollar brands, will not only stand to our students in their studies but also in their future careers.”

Mr Finan commented: “The Coca-Cola Company operates in 207 countries and is truly both a global and a local company. We constantly challenge ourselves to remain relevant to our consumers. The ability to do business internationally across different cultures is a key feature of my role. I was delighted to share my thoughts with students in the institution which provided a springboard for my career.”

ENDS