Mark Lyons

06/08/2026

Finding Light in Their Legacy

I’ve written several times about this time of the year being a special one for my family. For 45 years, my father and sister celebrated their birthdays together. With their birthdays two days apart, it was natural that we would get together to celebrate each year. Over the span of just a little more than 13 months, we lost them both, a great impact to our small family of four. My mother and I were very fortunate to have the support of our close-knit family business as well as family and friends, but the grieving process takes its own path for every individual in every situation.

Saturday, on what would have been Aoife’s birthday, I received a note from a great friend of hers, remembering happy moments with her and offering support and condolences. He recommended a podcast that had helped him in his own loss, one that I had not come across before: “All There Is with Anderson Cooper,” which explores Cooper’s grief in losing his mother and how it brought back the pain of the death of his father and brother years earlier. He has subsequently interviewed many other leading lights and guests about their own personal stories of loss. While listening to the first two episodes, I found myself in tears several times, touched by shared experiences and poignant learnings. I have picked a few more to listen to, and I would say if you have lost someone close or know someone who has, I hope this podcast may help you to heal.

When my father passed away, I realized I was now part of a club of those who have lost someone close, a club we almost all will be part of, and few of us are prepared to join. Both my sister and father went too soon. They each left legacies that were uniquely their own. My own personal experience with grief was certainly made easier by leaning into their legacies and asking others for help to live them out. However, the process of grieving and healing is a journey, and such a uniquely human experience. As this topic is so personal, perhaps it’s one we don’t talk about enough, keeping our pain and our process to ourselves, which is why I was so impressed with Anderson deciding to make it the topic of his podcast.

For me, there are a few learnings. When we lost my father, a great friend told me, “The depth of our love is the depth of our pain,” and I have found that to certainly be the case. I have also found that the more open we are to that pain, the more we accept and reflect on it, the more a source of power, belief and love that it becomes. I love my sister and my father more today than I ever have, and I will yet more tomorrow, as with each day I understand them better and find their own lives a greater source of inspiration. I walk in their shoes each day, and I find in the comments of others or my own thoughts what would have been their sage advice. It’s been nine years since we had a Lyons family celebration together in August, and as we move toward a decade, I’ve decided this year to go deeper into understand grief and think about how I can help others the way Aoife would have, and communicate the way my father would have, because this is a club we will all be part of someday — however, it is also one we can prepare ourselves to join.

17/07/2026

It is difficult to imagine a better reminder of the impact we can make together than a visit from a couple of puppies.

Bill and Finn recently joined us at Alltech’s global headquarters in Kentucky. They are two of four puppies being trained through the Pearse Lyons ACE Foundation’s Silver Charm Project to become service dogs. Each has an important role ahead: supporting a veteran, a first responder, a survivor of domestic violence or a pediatric cancer patient.

They are already making a difference, recently visiting children at a Kids Cancer Alliance camp and showing that they are ready for the responsibility ahead — with plenty of treats, encouragement and love along the way.

The first week of August has always been special to the Lyons family, with the birthdays of my father, sister and aunt falling within just days of one another. My sister called it the “Lyons family holiday.” Since my father’s passing, our global team has joined us in honoring that time through our annual Make a Difference Day — celebrating a life devoted to planting trees he might never see grow by serving communities and creating a positive impact around the world.

That spirit continues throughout the year through efforts such as our Charitable Challenge, which is nearing its $25,000 fundraising goal, and the Silver Charm Project. This initiative brings together so much of what our family has always valued: animals, friendship, health, service and the opportunity to transform lives.

You can help these puppies continue their journey by joining us for the Alltech Make a Difference Golf Scramble this September. Register your team and help provide the training these remarkable dogs need to serve their future partners.

09/07/2026

Alltech has been recognized by TIME and Statista as one of America’s Best Private Companies 2026.

This recognition is especially meaningful to us. Our story began with our family but has always been shaped by people — our team members, customers, partners and the communities we are proud to serve.

Family-led companies have a unique opportunity to lead with purpose, stay close to their values and make decisions with the long term in mind. This belief — that purpose drives performance — is timeless. Dad believed it, too. In 1989, he introduced the ACE principle, ensuring that every Alltech endeavor sought to benefit the Animal, Consumer and Environment.

Today, our Working Together for a Planet of Plenty™ vision carries that principle forward, reminding us that leadership is about more than influence or financial results — it is about impact.

It means so much to us to see Alltech included among companies recognized for employee satisfaction and company impact, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who continues to help write the next chapter of our family’s story.

04/07/2026

Happy Independence Day!

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, I’m reminded of the many remarkable Americans we’ve had the privilege of getting to know since our family came to the U.S. from Ireland more than 45 years ago.

From Muhammad Ali to Colin Powell, and featured here at our headquarters in Kentucky, the legendary Caroll Spinney, whose work lines this very hall and helped shape so many of our childhoods, we have been fortunate to be inspired by individuals who embody the creativity, character and spirit of this country.

As America celebrates this milestone year and serves as one of the hosts to the world for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, we hope our international guests will experience the same warmth, opportunity and optimism that first drew us to Kentucky.

Happy Fourth of July.

05/06/2026

As we celebrate and reflect on the idea that food connects the world, I find myself thinking about the small choices that shape something much bigger than ourselves.

Food has always been a universal language. It brings people together across cultures, generations and communities. Around every table, there is a story — of the farmers who grew the ingredients, the businesses that stewarded resources responsibly and the families who gathered to share a meal.

The same is true of sustainability.

We often think of sustainability as a large, complex challenge. But more often than not, it begins with simple daily habits repeated consistently over time.

That philosophy is at the heart of the “Green is the New Gold” campaign launched by Pearse Lyons Distillery in Dublin. The campaign celebrates "green rituals" — the everyday actions that reduce waste, conserve resources and strengthen communities.

What makes this especially meaningful is that these values are not simply marketing messages. They are reflected in the distillery's operations and culture. Pearse Lyons Distillery has earned Gold Membership through Bord Bia - Irish Food Board's Origin Green program three times, a distinction awarded to only a small percentage of participants who demonstrate leadership in areas such as responsible sourcing, water and energy efficiency, waste reduction, packaging and community engagement.

That achievement did not come from a single initiative. It came from thousands of decisions made over many years.

Leadership works much the same way.

Our legacy is rarely defined by one big moment. It is built through the habits we practice every day, the standards to which we hold ourselves and the example we set for others. Small actions, repeated consistently, become culture. Culture, sustained over time, becomes impact.

Whether we are producing food, crafting whiskey, leading a team or raising a family, the question is often the same:

What are the daily rituals that will leave things better than we found them?

One of my favorite green rituals is running because it reminds me that progress comes from small, consistent steps. Sustainability, like leadership, is rarely a sprint. It's the accumulation of thousands of choices made over time.

Because in the end, the most valuable gold is not what we extract. It is what we sustain.

🌍 Today is World Environment Day 🌱
As our Green is the New Gold campaign comes to a close, we want to celebrate the small actions that create meaningful change every day.
We’re inviting you to share your “Green Ritual” - the sustainable habits, practices, and everyday actions that help make a difference, whether at home, behind the bar, or in business. 💚
It could be:
♻️ Reducing waste
🌼 Supporting local and seasonal produce
🍯 Creating sustainable cocktails
🚲 Choosing greener ways to travel
💡 Any small ritual that helps the planet
How to take part:
👉 Tag
👉 Use
👉 Nominate a friend, bar, or colleague to join in

And while this special chapter of Green is the New Gold may be ending, the movement absolutely is not.
We’d love for you to continue sharing your Green Rituals throughout the year. 🌱
Keep sharing.
Keep the journey going.
And keep alive!

06/05/2026

The finish line is never reached alone.�
Recently, our Alltech Brazil team gathered in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, for the 140-kilometer Volta à Ilha relay race — a powerful reminder that endurance is rarely about individual performance. It’s about trust, consistency and the willingness to keep moving forward together.�
In a relay, there are moments when you lead and moments when you support. Some stretches feel effortless. Others are run uphill in the heat. But progress happens because someone is always there to carry the momentum forward.

That lesson extends far beyond running.�
The strongest teams are not built on perfection. They are built on shared effort, encouragement and the understanding that success is rarely achieved alone. Over time, those shared experiences create something even more valuable than results: relationships.�
During the race, Dr. Kyle McKinney, vice president of Innovation at Alltech, and I reflected on how movement has a way of creating community. A simple decision to get active, show up and participate can open the door to new friendships, fresh perspectives and renewed energy.�
For years, running has been part of Alltech’s culture — from runs with Dad and former Alltechian Jorge Arias, to relay races in Brazil and Kentucky, including the Bourbon Chase, which we have supported for nearly two decades, to our most recent 2026K Charitable Challenge. We know that bringing people together through movement is not only a way to improve fitness, but also the heart of building stronger teams.
You do not have to start with a marathon. You do not have to be the fastest. The important thing is to begin.�
Walk the first kilometer. Encourage the teammate beside you. Keep showing up.

Consistency compounds. Teams grow stronger. And step by step, we move farther together.