Diageo appoints Sir Dave Lewis as CEO

Diageo has appointed Sir Dave Lewis as the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective January 1, 2026.

As the Group CEO of Tesco from 2014-2020, Dave has a proven track record of leading global consumer businesses, brand building, providing operational and financial rigour. Prior to this, he spent nearly three decades at Unilever, latterly in Executive Committee roles, leading on both marketing and business performance. Additionally, he has been the Chair of Haleon, a global leader in consumer healthcare, since its creation in 2022 and is a non-executive board director of PepsiCo Inc. Dave will be stepping down from Haleon on December 31, 2025.

Sir John Manzoni, Diageo’s Chair, who led the succession process on behalf of the board, said, “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.”

Manzoni continued, “The Board wishes to recognise and thank Nik Jhangiani for his excellent leadership as Interim CEO and for continuing to drive forward Diageo’s sharpened strategy.”

Acknowledging the appointment, Dave 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.”

Dave is also a Trustee for The Royal Foundation and the Chair of the World Wildlife Fund in the UK. In recognition of his contribution to business and the food industry in the United Kingdom, Dave was knighted by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.