Red Stripe Jamaica will be sending home 20 persons in June. Two senior management posts will also be eliminated.

The director of marketing, currently held by Wayne Lawrence, and head of corporate relations, held by Maxine Whittingham-Osborne, will no longer exist.

The company said the posts were being eliminated in order to make the company more efficient.

"As the business is simplified, some roles within Red Stripe are expanding in scope while others are being eliminated. Regrettably, as a consequence, approximately 20 employees will be leaving the business at the end of June," said a release from the company.

Among the expanded roles are human resource management and public relations.

More responsibility

Persons in Jamaica carrying out those roles will now be responsible for the Caribbean and Northern Latin America.

"The structure is established but we have not yet identified the persons to head up the different functions," said Mark McKenzie, managing director of Red Stripe.

"We are still in the process, so not all positions have been assigned," he added.

The company also announced the retirement of Noel daCosta, director of Red Stripe. DaCosta, who served for 36 years, will remain with the company in a non-executive capacity as a member of the Red Stripe board.

In the company's new dispensation, the marketing functions across the region will now also be merged.

"Marketing of beers will now be done from Jamaica while the spirits will be done elsewhere within the region, from its Miami-based operations," said daCosta.

Meanwhile, recognising those who were affected by the changes, McKenzie said these persons had "made tremendous contributions to Red Stripe's brands and stature in Jamaica".

Diageo Plc, parent company of Red Stripe, had, in February, announced a move to restructure. The process, the company said, would cost $200 million but would position it for growth.