Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Ivan Menezes, Diageo’s Indian-origin CEO, passes away

He was behind Johnnie Walker's iconic campaign ‘Keep Walking’

Ivan Menezes, Diageo’s Indian-origin CEO, passes away

SIR IVAN MENEZES, alcoholic drinks giant Diageo’s long-serving Indian-origin chief executive, has passed after surgery on a stomach ulcer. He was 63.

His death came on Monday (5) with his family at his side, the maker of Johnnie Walker whisky and Smirnoff vodka said in a statement, crediting him for shaping Diageo into one of the “most trusted and respected consumer companies.”


He was responsible for developing Johnnie Walker’s iconic campaign ‘Keep Walking’.

“This is an incredibly sad day,” the company’s chairman Javier Ferrán, said, adding he was “undoubtedly one of the finest leaders of his generation.”

Sir Ivan was due to depart from Diageo on June 30, having served the company as its CEO since 2013.

Born in the western Indian city of Pune on 10 July 1959, he held UK and US citizenship and India’s overseas citizenship.

Having previously been the strategy director for Guinness plc, he joined Diageo at its creation in 1997 and held many senior positions in a career spanning over 25 years at the British company.

He became Diageo’s chief operating officer and subsequently oversaw its operations in the Americas and the Asia Pacific.

Sir Ivan was appointed as the company’s executive director in 2012 and served as the CEO from July 2013 till this week.

Now selling over 200 brands in more than 180 markets, Diageo is the number one company by net sales value in Scotch whisky, vodka, gin, rum, Canadian whisky, liqueurs, and also tequila1.

Diageo produced more than 10 million bottles of hand sanitiser for healthcare workers around the world, including the NHS, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sir Ivan announced the $100 million “Raising the Bar” programme to help pubs and bars around the world reopen their doors safely after lockdowns, providing sanitation, PPE, equipment for safer outdoor socialising spaces and staff training.

Before his career with Diageo, the alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Kellogg School of Management worked for Whirlpool in Europe, Booz Allen & Hamilton in North America and Nestlé in Asia.

He was awarded a Knighthood in January 2023 for services to business and equality.

Sir Ivan is survived by his wife, Shibani and his two children - Nikhil and Rohini.

Diageo's former chief operating officer Debra Crew was appointed interim chief executive at the start of this week. She had been due to take over as CEO on a permanent basis from next month following Sir Ivan’s planned retirement.

More For You

Tata-Steel

he Port Talbot EAF will produce up to 3 million tonnes of steel per year using UK-sourced scrap.

getty images

Tata Group begins construction of new Electric Arc Furnace in Port Talbot

TATA STEEL UK has started construction of a new Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) at its Port Talbot site in South Wales. Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran marked the groundbreaking ceremony on July 14, joined by Tata Steel CEO and managing director TV Narendran and Tata Steel UK CEO Rajesh Nair.

The EAF project is part of Tata Steel UK’s £1.25 billion plan to transition to low-carbon steelmaking, backed by £500 million from the UK government. The furnace is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2027 and aims to reduce carbon emissions at Port Talbot by about 90 per cent, or 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually. The project is expected to support 5,000 jobs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Labour’s non-dom tax changes may cost £4bn, experts warn

Starmer and Reeves during a visit to Horiba Mira in Nuneaton in Nuneaton. (Photo: Getty Images)

Labour’s non-dom tax changes may cost £4bn, experts warn

PLANS by Labour to overhaul the tax rules for non-domiciled residents in the UK could cost the public purse up to £4 billion and result in the loss of thousands of private sector jobs, according to a new analysis.

A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR), shared with The Times, suggested that scrapping the current non-dom regime could lead to a sharp drop in tax revenues if even a fraction of those affected decide to leave the country.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesla set to open first showroom in India

Elon Musk and Narendra Modi (right)

Tesla set to open first showroom in India

US CARMAKER Tesla is finally making its official debut in India with the opening of its first showroom in Mumbai.

The firm, led by Elon Musk, will unveil the new “Tesla Experience Centre” on Tuesday (15) at Maker Maxity Mall in the Bandra Kurla Complex, one of the city's top commercial hubs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian firm acquires Kings Court Hotel for £2.75m

UK-based Nanak Hotels acquired the 60-room Kings Court Hotel in Warwickshire for £2.75 million. (Photo: Colliers International UK)

Asian firm acquires Kings Court Hotel for £2.75m

UK-BASED Nanak Hotels recently acquired the 60-room Kings Court Hotel, a 17th-century property in Warwickshire, England, for £2.75 million. This is the first regional acquisition by the privately held firm led by British Indians Harpreet Singh Saluja and Karamvir Singh.

Nanak Hotels, which operates a UK property portfolio, plans to invest in the property's refurbishment and repositioning, according to a statement from Colliers International UK, which brokered the transaction.

Keep ReadingShow less
Priya Nair becomes first woman CEO in Hindustan Unilever's history

Priya Nair (Photo: Unilever)

Priya Nair becomes first woman CEO in Hindustan Unilever's history

PRIYA NAIR has been appointed as the CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), effective from August 1. She will be the first woman to lead the company in its history.

The announcement was made by HUL on Thursday (10). Nair, who currently serves as president, Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever, will take over the role from Rohit Jawa, who will step down on July 31 to pursue other interests.

Keep ReadingShow less