Diageo appoints Ivan Menezes as COO

Leading premium drinks maker Diageo plc announced the appointment of Ivan Menezes as chief operating officer. Mr Menezes is currently president of Diageo North America and chairman of Diageo Asia Pacific and Diageo Latin America & Caribbean. He will take up his new role on 1 March 2012.

“I am honoured and delighted to take up this appointment. I look forward to working with our talented senior management team to deliver even more success in the months and years to come,” Mr Menezes said.
As COO, Mr Menezes will lead Diageo’s operating businesses globally, adding responsibility for Europe and Africa to his current responsibility for North America, Asia Pacific and Latin America & Caribbean. Nick Blazquez (president, Africa), Gilbert Ghostine (president, Asia Pacific), Randy Millian (president, Latin America & Caribbean), Andrew Morgan (president, Europe) and Larry Schwartz, who is concurrently appointed president, North America, will report to Mr Menezes.
Reporting to chief executive officer Paul Walsh will be Mr Menezes, chief financial officer Deirdre Mahlan, chief marketing officer Andy Fennell,  president of Global Supply and Procurement David Gosnell, human resources director Gareth Williams, general counsel Tim Proctor, and company secretary Paul Tunnacliffe.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr Walsh said: “Ivan has a track record of delivery throughout his eight year leadership in North America and more recently in Asia Pacific and Latin America & Caribbean, and I am confident that Ivan can sustain and develop the performance momentum we demonstrated in our half year results as he broadens his responsibilities.

“We have highly capable leaders in our regions and markets and I am confident that their partnership with Ivan will enhance our leadership capacity at the top of the business. I very much look forward to working even more closely with Ivan to deliver our exciting future.