Today, the Board of Directors of Diageo has announced that Sir Dave Lewis, former CEO of Tesco, will assume the role of Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.
Lewis was Group CEO of Tesco plc from 2014 to 2020, during which he led significant transformation efforts. Before that, he dedicated nearly thirty years to Unilever, where he held various Executive Committee roles, focusing on marketing and business performance. He also serves as a non-executive director on the board of PepsiCo Inc.
Lewis succeeds Debra Crew, who stepped down as CEO of Diageo in July after a difficult tenure, during which investors were dissatisfied with the company’s underwhelming performance.
Sir John Manzoni, Diageo’s Chair, told investors: “We are delighted to welcome Dave as Diageo’s new CEO. 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.”
Sir Dave Lewis, Chief Executive Officer, said: “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.”
Lewis will start the role on January 1, 2026. Nik Jhangiani will remain as Interim CEO until the end of December 2025, after which he will return to his CFO position.
Diageo shares rose 7% in premarket trading following the announcement.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
