The Diageo Group has appointed Sir Dave Lewis as its new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective 1 January 2026. The decision follows a global search led by Chair Sir John Manzoni after the resignation of former CEO Debra Crew in July. Nik Jhangiani, who has served as Interim CEO since then, will return to his position as Chief Financial Officer when Lewis assumes the role, while Deirdre Mahlan continues as Interim CFO through the transition.
Lewis, widely known for his turnaround success at Tesco plc, where he served as Group CEO from 2014 to 2020, previously spent nearly three decades at Unilever in senior executive roles across marketing and operations. Since 2022, he has chaired Haleon, the consumer health company spun off from GSK, a role he will step down from on 31 December 2025. He also serves as a non-executive director of PepsiCo Inc. and will relinquish his position as operating partner at private equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice.
Upon the announcement, Diageo’s shares rose by around 7% in early London trading, reversing part of a recent 10-year low. The world’s largest spirits producer, owner of brands such as Guinness, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, and Captain Morgan, has been under pressure following weaker sales in the US and China and declining demand for premium tequila brands like Don Julio and Casamigos. In the last financial year to June, operating profit fell by about 28% to GBP 3.2bn, with net sales down 0.1%.
Lewis, knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 for his contribution to British business, said he was “delighted to be joining a world-leading company with a portfolio of very strong brands” and looked forward to “facing challenges and realising opportunities in a way that creates shareholder value.” Chair Sir John Manzoni described Lewis as “the right leader for Diageo at this time,” citing his experience in building global consumer brands.
