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Shares in Diageo PLC on Monday rose as it announced former Tesco PLC head Dave Lewis will become its new chief executive officer at the start of next year. Shares in Diageo, the London-based owner of Guinness and Johnnie Walker whisky, rose 7.0% to 1,847.29 pence in London on Monday morning. It was the biggest riser on the FTSE 100 which was up 0.6%. Haleon, the Weybridge, England-based consumer goods firm, was down 1.0% at 357.60p each. Lewis was CEO at food retailer Tesco from 2014 to 2020, and, prior to this, spent nearly three decades at Marmite owner Unilever PLC, latterly in executive committee roles. Most recently, Lewis has been the Chair of consumer goods firm Haleon PLC, and is a non-executive director of PepsiCo Inc. Lewis will be stepping down from the Haleon role at the end of the year. Diageo Chair John Manzoni said 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.’ Nik Jhangiani will continue as interim CEO at Diageo until the end of December and then resume his chief financial officer role thereafter. Jhangiani took temporary charge at Diageo after previous CEO Debra Crew stepped down in July. Crew had led Diageo since June 2023, having joined as a non-executive director in 2019 before taking on the role of president of Diageo North America and chief operating officer. Deirdre Mahlan, having returned to Diageo as Interim CFO, will continue to support Diageo through the transition. Haleon said Vindi Banga will succeed Lewis as chair with effect from the start of 2026. Banga has served as senior independent director on the Haleon board since the company’s listing in 2022. He spent 33 years at Unilever, where he was also CEO and Chair of Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Lewis said his decision to step down from Haleon is a ‘personal one and is related to a new unique opportunity which I wish to take forward.’ Copyright 2025 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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