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TRIBUTE
Industry marks the retirement of JTI sales director Derek Mooney JTI sales director Derek Mooney has literally grown up working in and for Ireland’s tobacco industry. At the tender age of 17, he joined Gallaher, but not before the fresh-faced Mooney was asked to produce his passport to prove he was old enough to start work. Always a shrewd negotiator, he was also a friend of the trade and gave unstintingly of his time, vast experience and resources. Derek Mooney
Now, on the cusp of his retirement, ShelfLife asked some of the country’s leading retailers and wholesalers to pay tribute to Derek Mooney’s massive contribution to the trade
Looking back over four decades…
Derek Mooney reflects on a career spanning 42 years and all the fantastic people he has met along the way My career began back in June 1979 when I joined Gallaher as a customer services agent, before moving onto roles including key account manager, trading director and finally sales director in the years that followed. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to meet so many great colleagues, customers and friends, working for a great company with excellent people and learning a huge amount from others. The JTI acquisition of Gallaher in 2007 was a major milestone in my career, helping me progress to sales director level and giving me the opportunity to develop young talent, many of whom subsequently moved to other JTI markets to broaden their knowledge and experience. I have enjoyed every minute of the journey. What has driven me through my career? A passion for success, leading the way forward through our people and brands, developing
ShelfLife November 2021 | www.shelflife.ie
strong trade relationships, and ensuring JTI has a strong reputation for fairness and honesty among our business partners. We live up to our values in JTI and I’m proud to say that we refuse to compromise on trust, integrity or reputation. I have negotiated with our key trading partners for over 25 years and although we may have had differences of opinion at times during negotiations, you have always shown me the utmost respect. Looking back over four decades within Gallaher/JTI, I can truly say JTI is a ‘Great Place to Work’. Training and development of employees is second to none, and this investment in people has been fundamental to the success I’ve experienced in my own career. I have also had exceptional general manager mentors over the years, each with their own style of leadership. I learnt a huge amount
working with them and I’ve tried in turn to lead by example and impart these skills to colleagues in the earlier stages of their careers to help them reach their full potential. To my colleagues and friends in JTI, thank you so much for all your help and support over the years. I leave behind a great management team that has made my life so much easier. My sales management team, business advisers and telesales team are the best in the business and I wish you well in your future careers within JTI. Thank you for always delivering on our goals and objectives. To my colleagues and friends within the trade, thank you for all the support you have given to me and JTI. You have played a major role in making JTI the number one tobacco company in Ireland. I will truly miss the banter with you all and the social occasions when we shared a beer or two. I wish you the very best in driving your businesses to the next level. If you are ever in The Algarve, give me a shout! Go raibh maith agat, go dti go mbuailfimid le cheile aris.
