After leading Diageo successfully for a decade, the company announced in March that Sir Ivan Menezes will retire as CEO and depart from the Diageo board on June 30. Debra Crew, who has been serving as COO, will be appointed CEO and join the Diageo board, effective July 1. Crew will be Diageo’s first female CEO and, with her appointment, women will make up more than 50% of Diageo’s Executive Committee at the start of her tenure. Appointed COO in October 2022, Crew was previously President, Diageo North America and Global Supply. She is credited with leading Diageo’s largest market to 14% sales growth in fiscal 2022, after driving 20% organic growth the prior year. She originally joined the Diageo board as a non-executive director in April 2019, before stepping down from the board when she was named President, Diageo North America in July 2020.