Spirits giant Diageo announced Monday that it has named former Unilever executive Dave Lewis as its next CEO.
Lewis will succeed Debra Crew — who stepped down as CEO this summer — at the beginning of next year. He most recently was chairman of consumer healthcare firm Haleon and served on the board of PepsiCo. Previously, Lewis led British grocery chain Tesco and spent nearly three decades at Unilever.
Interim Nik Jhangiani will return to his previous position as Diageo’s chief financial officer, and interim CFO Deirdre Mahlan will “continue to support Diageo through the transition.”
“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,” Diageo Chairman John Manzoni said in a statement.
“Diageo is a world leading business with a portfolio of very strong brands, and I am delighted to be joining the team,” said Lewis. “The market faces some headwinds but there are also significant opportunities.”
Diageo owns dozens of alcohol brands, including Captain Morgan, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One and Guinness.
