Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes, who led the world’s biggest spirits company for a decade, died at the age of 63 after a brief illness, the company announced on Wednesday. Debra Crew has been named interim CEO, effective immediately.
The news comes after Diageo announced that the 63-year-old, who was set to retire at the end of this month, was in hospital receiving treatment for conditions including a stomach ulcer.
Born in 1959 in Pune, India, Menezes joined Diageo at its creation in 1997 and held many senior positions in a career spanning over 25 years at the company. Under his leadership, starting in 2013, Diageo expanded globally across categories and trends: highlights include the acquisition of George Clooney’s tequila brand Casamigos and providing venture capital for emerging spirits brands (including non-alcoholic) through Distill Ventures.
Menezes was knighted in January by King Charles III for services to business and to equality.
In a statement, Diego chairman Javier Ferran called Menezes “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. His desire to build the world’s best brands never left him.”
Karen Betts, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, and former boss of the Scotch Whisky Association, told the Financial Times that Menezes recognized the need for spirits makers to take the trend of “responsible drinking” more seriously, saying “He was a big advocate and understood that the spirits sector needed to take responsible drinking seriously to survive.”