Cathy Halligan is an accomplished businesswoman with a career spanning over three decades. Cathy currently serves as an independent non-executive director at Ferguson Enterprises, and has previously held board positions at Wilton Brands and FLIR Systems.
Halligan began their career in the early 1990s, working in sales and marketing for Procter & Gamble. Cathy then transitioned to the role of marketing director at Coca-Cola, where they oversaw the launch of several successful products. In the early 2000s, they became a vice president at Kraft Foods, overseeing the company's European operations.
In 2007, Halligan joined Ferguson plc as CEO. During their tenure, they oversaw the company's expansion into new markets and guided it through the global financial crisis. Cathy stepped down from their role in 2016, but remained on the board as a non-executive director.
In May 2016, Halligan was appointed to the board of directors at Wilton Brands. Cathy served on the company's audit and compensation committees, and was chair of its corporate social responsibility committee. In September 2018, Wilton Brands was acquired by Dr. Oetker.
In March 2014, Halligan joined the board of directors at FLIR Systems. Cathy served on the audit and compensation committees, and was chair of the compensation committee from May 2018 to May 2021. On May 14, 2021, FLIR Systems was acquired by Teledyne.
Cathy Halligan earned a BS in Finance from Northern Illinois University. Cathy then attended Making Corporate Boards More Effective at Harvard Business School Executive Education. After that, they went to the Stanford University Directors' College, Rock Center for Corporate Governance. Finally, they completed an Executive Program at Singularity University.