Diageo appoints Debra Crew as its first female chief executive

theguardian.com:

The world’s biggest spirits maker, Diageo, has appointed Debra Crew as chief executive, making her one of just a handful of women to lead a FTSE 100 company.

The company, which makes well-known brands including Johnnie Walker scotch whisky, Guinness and Baileys, announced that Sir Ivan Menezes would step down on 30 June after 10 years as chief executive. It decided to promote Crew from chief operating officer to the top job, effective on 1 July.

Diageo employs 28,000 people globally and sells more than 200 brands in more than 180 markets. It is the biggest company by net sales value in scotch and Canadian whisky, vodka, gin, rum, liquors and tequila.

Only eight of the UK’s top 100 listed companies have a female chief executive. They are Dame Alison Rose at NatWest, Amanda Blanc at Aviva, Dame Emma Walmsley at GSK, Jette Nygaard-Andersen at Entain, Liv Garfield at Severn Trent, Jennie Daly at Taylor Wimpey, Margherita Della Valle at Vodafone and Milena Mondini de Focatiis at Admiral.

Before being appointed chief operating officer in October 2022, Crew ran Diageo’s business in North America, its largest market. She joined the company in 2019 and previously headed the tobacco firm Reynolds American until it was acquired by BAT. Prior to that, she spent five years at PepsiCo and also worked at Kraft Foods, Nestlé and Mars.

Also joining the ranks of FTSE 100 executives, Louise Beardmore will take the helm at United Utilities, the UK’s largest listed water company, in May.

Alison Brittain, who led the Premier Inn owner Whitbread for seven years, has recently been replaced by Dominic Paul, who joined from Domino’s Pizza Group.

Diageo’s news came after the firm reported a 15% rise in operating profits to £3.2bn in the six months to the