Former Tesco boss takes the helm at the whisky giant

Diageo had to go without a CEO for a while after the departure of Debra Crew. Now there’s finally a new face at the helm of the drinks giant: Sir Dave Lewis.

The drinks powerhouse behind Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff and numerous Scottish distilleries such as Lagavulin, Roseisle and Talisker has a new CEO on board. Sir Dave Lewis, the former Tesco boss, has joined after a global search.

With Lewis’s arrival, a “rudderless” spell following Debra Crew’s exit comes to an end. During that period, Nik Jhangiani took the reins on an interim basis and oversaw, among other things, the release of the Special Releases 2025. He now returns to his former role as the company’s CFO.

Lewis brings an impressive résumé and a wealth of experience to Diageo. He spent 28 years at Unilever, served 6 years as CEO of Tesco, and was also chair of the healthcare company Haleon.

Lewis was chosen as CEO after an extensive selection process with both internal and external candidates. His mandate is clear: Diageo needs to grow. That will be his focus.

The timing of Lewis’s appointment is noteworthy. Diageo has just revised its outlook for 2026 after a disappointing first quarter. The new CEO is stepping straight into the deep end.

Lewis won’t be slowing down alongside his new role. He will also remain a non-executive director at PepsiCo, Chairman at Xlinks, and Chair of WWF UK.

Lewis himself has not yet commented on his new position. Perhaps we’ll hear more soon from the new Diageo CEO.