Diageo has announced that its chief executive Sir Ivan Menezes has passed away, aged 63, following a brief illness.
At the end of March, he announced his intention to retire and step down as chief executive on 30 June, following 10 years leading the company.
At the start of this week, Diageo promoted Debra Crew to interim chief executive, as Menezes underwent emergency surgery for medical conditions including a stomach ulcer.
Chairman Javier Ferrán commented: "This is an incredibly sad day; Ivan was undoubtedly one of the finest leaders of his generation.
"Ivan was there at the creation of Diageo and over 25 years, shaped Diageo to become one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer companies.
"I saw first-hand his steadfast commitment to our people and to creating a culture that enabled everyone to thrive.
"He invested his time and energy in people at every level of the company and saw potential that others may have overlooked - this is one of many reasons why he was beloved by our employees, past and present."
Ferrán added: "We are truly privileged to have had the opportunity to work alongside such a thoughtful and passionate colleague and friend - a true gentleman."
Menezes is survived by his wife, Shibani and two children, Nikhil and Rohini.
He was born on 10 July 1959, in Pune, India.
Menezes joined Diageo at its creation in 1997 and held many senior positions in a career spanning more than 25 years at the company.
He had been the strategy director for Guinness, but when Diageo was subsequently created through the merger, he was appointed group integration director.
Menezes then became global marketing director in 1998, responsible for developing the Keep Walking campaign for Johnnie Walker.
He subsequently held several senior positions, including chief operating officer, president of Diageo North America, chairman for Diageo Asia Pacific and chairman for Diageo Latin America and Caribbean.
Menezes was appointed to the board as an executive director in July 2012 and served as chief executive since July 2013.
During his decade in the top job, he oversaw growth to a group now selling more than 200 brands in more than 180 markets, number one by net sales value in Scotch whisky, vodka, gin, rum, Canadian whisky, liqueurs, and also tequila - a category in which eight years ago it had no substantive position.
Having steered Diageo through the pandemic, Menezes delivered net sales value 36% larger than in 2019.
He was also a champion for both women and ethnic minorities in business. In 2008 there were no women on Diageo's executive committee, today over half are women, including his successor as chief executive. More than 40% of Diageo's senior leadership positions globally are held by women, while 37% are ethnically diverse, well on the way to his target to achieve gender parity in senior leadership by 2025.
Menezes was also determined to be a pioneer on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, committing Diageo to deliver a positive impact on society everywhere the company operates. The group halved carbon emissions in absolute terms under his leadership - even as the it significantly increased production and sales - and water efficiency also improved by almost half.
During the pandemic, Diageo produced more than 10 million bottles of hand sanitiser for healthcare workers around the world, including the NHS, while Menezes also announced the $100m Raising the Bar programme to help pubs and bars around the world reopen their doors safely again, providing PPE, sanitation, equipment for safer outdoor socialising spaces and staff training.
Beyond Diageo, he was chair of Movement to Work between 2017 and 2020, a UK voluntary collaboration of businesses committed to tackling youth unemployment, in partnership with government, unions and charities, delivering 100,000 structured work placements for young people in the UK.
Menezes had a long involvement with the Pratham charity, which promotes literacy and provides education to underprivileged children in India.
He was a non-executive director of Tapestry, chair of the council of The Scotch Whisky Association and a member of the global advisory board at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University.
Prior to his career with Diageo, Menezes worked across a variety of sales, marketing and strategy roles for Whirlpool in Europe, Booz Allen & Hamilton in North America, and Nestlé in Asia.
In January 2023, he was awarded a Knighthood for services to business and to equality in the New Year Honours List.
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