Business Daily Meets: Ned Guinness

Podcast: Business Daily (BBC World Service)
Host: Liana Byrne
Guest: Lord Ivor Ned Guinness, 4th Earl of Ivor (“Ned Guinness”)
Date: December 26, 2025
Duration: ~20 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode features an in-depth conversation with Lord Ivor Ned Guinness, the head of the legendary Guinness family, known for the iconic Irish stout. As the first generation in 250 years not actively managing the Guinness brewing company, Ned shares insights into stewarding the family’s financial, historical, and philanthropic legacy. The discussion covers growing up Guinness, the family’s place in Irish history, the sale and evolution of the company, modern responsibilities, philanthropy, and what it’s like to carry a global name.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Growing Up in the Guinness Family

• Family Business Expectations
  • Ned describes his upbringing as “normal,” shaped by intergenerational wisdom but not by heavy-handed expectations to run the brewery.
  • “My father... was actually passionate that the four of us, his children, weren't or shouldn't as a priority, go into the business.” (03:01, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
• Early Impressions of the Brewery
  • Childhood visits to the Guinness brewery were uneventful rather than magical:
    • “I never got to see lovely machinery at work or pressing buttons... I actually went into the director's office and sat with my father on very long telephone conversations... it was actually a really dull experience.” (04:15, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

2. Family Legacy and Historical Context

• Writing the Family History
  • Ned is authoring a book about the Guinness family, aiming to provide contextual understanding drawn from private archives:
    • “I was able to piece together things and find and discover stories and vignettes... and also attempt to put their lives in the context of the Ireland of the day.” (05:33, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
• Navigating Political Upheaval
  • The family's approach during 19th and 20th-century Irish unrest was to enact gradual change from within rather than revolutionary upheaval.
    • “We were trying to busily engage and make change from within... whereas revolutionaries obviously want to make revolution and wholesale change, we were busy trying to protect our interests through altering and making acceptable the laws and the injustices that were evident...” (06:34, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
  • Guinness was known for relatively fair treatment of employees within the limitations of historic laws and norms.

3. Philanthropy, Social Responsibility & Modern Legacy

• Lasting Impact on Dublin
  • Guinness family philanthropy significantly impacted Dublin’s housing and health, through projects like the Ivy Trust (1,800 homes), the Lister Institute, and agricultural initiatives.
    • “It's not an exaggeration to say that Guinness philanthropy shaped Dublin.” (08:00, Liana Byrne)
• Modern Attitude to Responsibility
  • Ned carries the legacy “lightly, because it's something that could weigh you down and all you can do is to do your best.”
  • Focus on gratitude and humility:
    • “Reminding ourselves that what we take for granted today may not be there tomorrow. Or make sure that we nurture, with love and kindness and decency, common human decency, the things that we hold true.” (08:54, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

4. The Guinness Brand, Diageo, and the Shift from Family Control

• End of Direct Family Management

  • In 1997, Guinness merged with Grand Metropolitan to become Diageo.
  • Ned’s father was the “last Guinness family chairman…[remaining] on the board until he passed.”
    • “A tenure of 233 years really is perfectly extraordinary.” (13:30, 14:23, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
  • No family members currently on the board, but the family retains a significant Diageo stake (~$260 million as of 2017).

• Modern Role with Diageo

  • Ned personally oversees microdistribution of Guinness draught to St Vincent and the Grenadines, reflecting the enduring Caribbean market for their stout.
    • “This delicious, relatively new technology… produces a draught pint which is almost as good as a Dublin pub.” (14:48, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• Advice for Diageo’s Future

  • On the appointment of new CEO Sir Dave Lewis, Ned emphasizes guardianship of the brand’s heart and values:
    • “It's not just about the balance sheet... It's about the heart and soul of the business, which I hope will continue to thrive.” (15:47, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

5. Innovation and Tradition: No-Alcohol Guinness

• Guinness 0.0 Success
  • Sales of non-alcoholic Guinness have doubled, a point of pride in the family’s tradition of innovation.
    • “My ancestors would feel very delighted. We've always been innovators… Non alcoholic stout is utterly remarkable in my view.” (16:51, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

6. Ned Guinness Today: Farming, Pubs & Simple Pleasures

• Personal Life and Philosophy

  • Ned sees himself foremost as a farmer at the historic Elvedon Estate, growing barley (for beer) and vegetables.
    • “The key is... nurturing those things that are good for us and giving us healthy bodies and healthy minds.” (17:49, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
  • Focus on simple joys and community: cooking, gardening, motorbiking, spending time with dogs and friends.

• Running Local Pubs

  • Ned owns two village pubs and confesses to nerves every time he pours a pint of Guinness.
    • “Well, I get very nervous when pouring a pint... does it taste good? It's a question of is the Guinness good enough?” (19:00, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)
  • He also brews his own village ale, enjoys cider, and loves a good glass of red wine.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Family Expectations:

  • “We were actually encouraged to not go into the business at all.” (03:01, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• On Early Experiences at the Brewery:

  • “It was actually a really dull experience.” (04:15, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• On Social Responsibility:

  • “All you can do is to do your best… it may be that the sum of a day's work is a small thing. It may be just to make someone smile, but that in itself is a positive.” (08:54, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• On the Guinness Legacy:

  • “A tenure of 233 years really is perfectly extraordinary.” (14:23, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• On Tradition and Innovation:

  • “We've always been innovators… Non alcoholic stout is utterly remarkable in my view.” (16:51, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

• On the Pressure of Pouring Guinness:

  • “Well, I get very nervous when pouring a pint... Is the Guinness good enough?” (19:00, Lord Ivor Ned Guinness)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Introducing Ned Guinness & Family Overview – [00:59]
• Family Attitudes Toward the Business – [02:37]
• Recollections of Childhood in the Brewery – [04:15]
• Retelling Family History & The Netflix Series – [05:33]
• Guinness Philanthropy & Social Impact – [08:00]
• Life After Family Control: Diageo & Legacy – [13:04]
• Thoughts on Non-Alcoholic Guinness – [16:36]
• Ned’s Current Life & Running Pubs – [17:49]

Overall Tone & Style

The conversation is warm, reflective, and characterized by humility and humor. Ned comes across as grounded, private, and deeply aware of both privilege and social responsibility—more a steward of legacy than a corporate scion. There’s a sense of nostalgia, pride, and ongoing curiosity about how best to balance tradition, innovation, and kindness.

This summary captures the heart of the episode for listeners interested in business dynasties, the evolution of global companies, philanthropy, and leadership after relinquishing power. Ned’s perspective provides a personal window into a family—and a brand—that defined an industry—and a country—for more than two centuries.