Diageo appoints Sir Dave Lewis as new Chief Executive Officer effective January 2026
Sir Dave Lewis to succeed Nik Jhangiani as Diageo CEO, bringing decades of global leadership and brand-building experience.
UK – Beverage giant Diageo has announced the appointment of Sir Dave Lewis as its new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective 1 January 2026.
Lewis will succeed Nik Jhangiani, who has been serving as Interim CEO since July 2025 following the departure of former CEO Debra Crew.
Sir Dave Lewis joins Diageo from Haleon Plc, where he has served as Chair since 2022. He will step down from this role on 31 December 2025. Before joining Haleon, Lewis led Tesco Plc, one of the world’s largest retailers, as Group Chief Executive Officer from 2014 to 2020.
With nearly three decades of experience at Unilever Plc, Lewis held several senior leadership roles, including President Americas and Global President for Personal Care, both of which placed him on Unilever’s Global Executive Team.
His career has been marked by a strong focus on marketing, operational excellence, and brand development across global consumer markets.
Sir John Manzoni, Diageo’s Chair, 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 are right for Diageo at this time. We are confident that Dave will lead the company into its next successful chapter in an evolving consumer environment.”
On his appointment, Sir Dave Lewis 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 also significant opportunities. I look forward to working with the team to face these challenges and realize the opportunities in a way that creates shareholder value.”
Until the transition takes effect, Nik Jhangiani will remain Interim CEO through December 2025, after which he will return to his role as Chief Financial Officer. Deirdre Mahlan, who returned as Interim CFO, will continue to support Diageo through the leadership handover.
Lewis’s appointment follows a challenging period for Diageo, marked by revised growth forecasts and leadership changes.
Earlier this month, the Johnnie Walker and Don Julio maker lowered its sales and profit outlook for the fiscal year ending July 2026, citing softer consumer demand in the United States and China.
The company now expects organic sales growth to be “flat to slightly down” for the fiscal year ending July 2026.
The maker of Don Julio tequila also lowered its annual organic profit growth forecast to a low to mid-single-digit range, from its earlier mid-single-digit target.
Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.
