Diageo has named former Tesco boss Sir Dave Lewis as chief executive, as the drinks company battles to rebuild investor confidence following a period of boardroom turmoil and weak performance that has sent its shares to a 10-year low.
The parent company of Guinness and Johnnie Walker said on Monday that Lewis would take over on January 1. Diageo shares jumped 7% in early trading in London. The announcement ends Diageo’s search for a replacement after Debra Crew stepped down in July.
Lewis ran Tesco between 2014 and 2020 and before that spent almost three decades at Unilever. Diageo had come under fire from shareholders for its poor performance and its protracted search for a chief executive.
