Her mom was killed by a drunk driver. Today, Ann Mukherjee is CEO of Absolut Vodka

Ann Mukherjee is the CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, which owns brands like Jameson, Absolut and Malibu (Image credit: Nasdaq)

Ann Mukherjee knows better than most about the devastating impact that alcohol can have. One of her earliest memories is being assaulted by two drunk teenagers as a young girl. And when she was 14, Mukherjee’s mother was killed by a drunk driver. Today, Ann Mukherjee is the CEO of a leading alcohol company and hopes to affect positive change through her position. This is her incredible story, as documented in the CNBC Behind the Desk series.

Mukherjee, 56, is the CEO and chairman of Pernod Ricard North America, the world’s second-largest seller of wine and spirits, with brands like Absolut, Malibu and Jameson under its belt. As an immigrant from India - her family moved to the US when she was five - Mukherjee is also the first woman of colour to hold that position.

“We should never just accept that bad things happen,” she says. “As a leader, I feel a strong sense to stand up for those who have gone through similar experiences as I have, and do everything I can to make sure others never have to go through it.”

After Ann Mukherjee took the helm at Pernod Ricard North America in December 2019, one of her first acts as CEO was to launch an ad campaign for Absolut Vodka on sexual consent.

“Our products are meant to unlock magic, not to be used for harm,” says Mukherjee, who is a board member of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network and survived an abusive first marriage in which she believes alcohol played a part.

It was her second husband, Dipu, who taught her that alcohol can be “fun when done right,” says Mukherjee.

“He’s a master mixologist. He’s the one who re-introduced me to alcohol, and showed me that if it’s done right, it can be fun. When I was asked to interview at Pernod Ricard, it was Dipu who said, ‘Don’t screw this up!’” Mukherjee reveals.

“I was unsure if I could work for a wine and spirits brand, after everything I’d gone through. He said, ‘Don’t you get it? The universe is talking to you, and telling you that this is your opportunity to right wrongs. How could you say no?’”

Today, as CEO of a leading alcohol company, Ann Mukherjee knows the enormous responsibility she carries on her shoulders and hopes to bring about “positive, meaningful change.”

“I realized that you can either walk away from fire, or you can walk into it. I walked into the fire. If I’m in this role for five or seven years, am I going to solve everything before I leave? No.

"What I hope to leave is a legacy of people who are inspired and believe that they can make a difference,” she says.