Diageo has appointed Dave Lewis as its next Chief Executive Officer. He will take up the role on 1 January 2026, succeeding interim CEO Nik Jhangiani, who will return to his position as Chief Financial Officer at that time.
Lewis succeeds Debra Crew, who left the company in July. He brings over three decades of experience in the consumer goods and retail sectors. He is currently Chair of consumer health company Haleon and serves on the board of PepsiCo. He is also Chairman of Xlinks, a privately owned renewable energy business.
Before these roles, Lewis spent most of his career at Unilever, starting as a graduate trainee and later joining the Global Executive Team, first as President Americas and then as Global President for Personal Care. After 28 years at Unilever, he became CEO of Tesco, leading the retailer from 2014 to 2020.
He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List for his contributions to business and the food industry in the UK, the company said.
Nik Jhangiani will continue to lead Diageo as interim CEO through the end of 2025, before resuming his role as CFO. Dierdre Mahlan, who recently returned to Diageo as interim CFO, will remain with the company “to support Diageo through the transition,” according to RBC.
