A.W. Fawcett
A.W. Fawcett, the Managing Director of GUINNESS Exports Ltd, was an extraordinary man, a benevolent despot with imaginative promotional ideas but an abrasive personality. His staff had an appropriate nickname for him, based on his initials, 'Appointment with Fear'. Yet although ruthless and determined in business matters, he was devoted to his workforce whom he referred to as his 'family' in the memos, often decorated with his own cartoons, which accompanied the Easter eggs and Christmas bonuses he gave them. Morale was good, despite the tough working conditions. There was a canteen, a roof garden, a pension scheme and even halibut oil capsules provided free as 'your winter sunshine'.

A.W. Fawcett had a genius for unusual sales promotions and publicity stunts. In 1958 he bought up 250 old Liverpool Council gas lamp posts and advertised them free to any Liverpudlian overseas who could suggest ways to increase GUINNESS sales.

During the 1956 Suez Crisis when petrol was rationed, Fawcett bought a horse and cart to transport GEL's wooden cases. Peter the horse soon became a firm favourite, cadging mints from the local sweet shop and enjoying a nightly bottle of GUINNESS in his feed. To celebrate the centenary of Macfee's (GEL's predecessor company), Fawcett commissioned a giant cake. The bottom two tiers were cut into 3000 pieces and sent to customers all over the world, while the top three tiers were put into sealed containers to be opened in 1961, 81 and 2001! GEL's bright yellow delivery lorries, decorated with model leprechauns, giant bottles and globes also carried the company's entries in local carnivals which were based on popular GUINNESS advertisements. GEL had special miniature bottling machinery which produced many thousands of 3 1/4" miniature bottles from 1953-86. These became standard advertising novelties in many GUINNESS markets. Several special ones were also produced to commemorate events such as a replica of the Mayflower which sailed to the USA in 1957 carrying 600 dozen miniature GUINNESS bottles among its cargo.

A.W. Fawcett, who had joined the company as a young clerk in 1913, eventually retired in 1962 as Managing Director and Chairman.