Diageo Announces Changes to Executive Committee

31 Mar 2014 --- Diageo has announced changes to its Executive Committee. Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, made the following announcement: 'When I became Chief Executive I set out my ambition for Diageo to become one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. In the last nine months I have made changes to align the organisation behind that ambition and today I have announced further changes to the Diageo Executive Committee to ensure we achieve it. These changes will be effective 1 July 2014.

Over the last few years the scale and shape of our business in Asia Pacific has transformed, primarily by the acquisitions we have made in India and Greater China. These markets are key growth engines for Diageo, and Gilbert Ghostine will now focus on the development of our position in India and China, a position which he orchestrated as he led the expansion of our business in Asia Pacific. I have also asked Gilbert to take on the newly created role of Chief Corporate Development Officer, responsible for Business Development. In addition he will be responsible for our relationship with Moët Hennessy and will join me on the Moët Hennessy/Diageo Joint Committee. Gilbert’s title will be President, Diageo India and Greater China, and Chief Corporate Development

My second change is to reconfigure the leadership of our emerging markets outside Latin America and Caribbean and Nick Blazquez is appointed President, Diageo Africa, Eurasia and Pacific. Nick will now take full responsibility for the markets of North Asia, South East Asia, Australia and GTME, alongside his existing responsibility for Africa, Turkey, Russia and Eastern Europe, and the global route to consumer work. Bringing these markets under Nick’s leadership will enable to us to build on the footprint we have already created in these fast growth geographies.

Those changes focus on growth and my third change focuses on delivery of efficient growth. I have decided that our Global Supply and Procurement function will report to Deirdre Mahlan, CFO. David Gosnell, President Global Supply and Procurement, is retiring from the Diageo Executive Committee at the end of this financial year and David Cutter, currently International Supply Centre Director, is appointed President Global Supply and Procurement and will join the Executive Committee reporting to Deirdre.

David Gosnell has led Diageo’s Global Supply and Procurement organisation for ten years having joined Diageo in 1998 as European Supply Director. He became President, Global Supply in 2003 and joined the Diageo Executive Committee in 2008. Under his leadership Global Supply and Procurement has been simplified and modernised and David has led the capacity expansion programmes, notably for scotch in Scotland but also in the Virgin Islands and North America which will fuel our future growth. He also led the development of our supply footprint in the emerging markets, embedding Diageo’s global standards of operational excellence. David leaves Diageo with our very best wishes for the future and our thanks for all he has achieved in building Diageo’s supply function to the very high standard we have today.

The three changes I am announcing today, together with the appointments I have already made to the Executive Committee, bring together a strong leadership team. I congratulate Gilbert, Nick and David Cutter on their new appointments and I look forward to working with them and the whole Diageo Executive, to deliver our ambition for Diageo to become one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world.’