Former Tesco chief Dave Lewis announced as Diageo CEO
Drinks giant Diageo has unveiled its new chief executive with Sir Dave Lewis taking the helm at the company. The new hire will commence his role from 1 January 2026.
The move follows the departure of former chief Debra Crew who left the role during the summer after two years leading the firm. Nik Jhangiani who has held the chief executive role on an interim basis since Crew left Diageo, will continue in the position until Lewis joins, at which point he will return to his role as chief financial officer.
Lewis was chief executive of Tesco for six years, leaving the role in 2020. Previous to this position he spent almost 30 years at Unilever. He will step down from his current role as chairman of health business Haleon to take up the top job at Diageo.
The new appointment follows a challenging a period for Diageo who saw their operating profit decline around -28% when comparing the year to June to the same period during 2024.
In a statement, Diageo chair, Sir John Manzoni, who led the leadership search welcomes Lewis’ hiring.
He commented: “Having conducted an extensive and thorough global search, the board unanimously felt that Dave has both the extensive CEO experience, and the proven leadership skills in building and marketing world-leading brands, that is right for Diageo at this time.
“We are confident that Dave will work with the team to take Diageo into its next successful chapter in the evolving consumer environment.”
New CEO, Lewis, added: “Diageo is a world leading business with a portfolio of very strong brands, and I am delighted to be joining the team.
“The market faces some headwinds but there are also significant opportunities. I look forward to working with the team to face these challenges and realise some of the opportunities in a way which creates shareholder value.”
Keywords:
Search
Digital Editions
56-58 Church Walk, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9AN
Registered in England No. 6646125. VAT No. 938 4452 95
