The Diageo board of directors today appointed Sir Dave Lewis as Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director, effective January 1, 2026. The news has revitalized the European spirits sector, first and foremost the Campari share price which, despite its problems, is now benefiting from the British company's momentum and is up 2.3%.

As the official release explains, Dave Lewis is a CEO with a proven track record of marketing and brand building. He has an excellent track record of leading global consumer goods companies, growing world-class brands, and delivering rigorous operational and financial management. He served as CEO of Tesco Group from 2014 to 2020, where he transformed the company. Prior to that, he spent nearly thirty years at Unilever, most recently serving on the executive committee, driving both marketing and corporate results. Additionally, Dave Lewis has served as Chairman of Haleon, a global leader in consumer healthcare, since its inception in 2022 and is a non-executive director of PepsiCo Inc. Lewis will retire from his role at Haleon on December 31, 2025.

Sir John Manzoni , Chairman of Diageo, who led the succession process on behalf of the Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dave as Diageo’s new Chief Executive Officer. After conducting a thorough and extensive global search, the Board unanimously agreed that Dave Lewis possesses both the extensive CEO experience and proven leadership skills in building and marketing world-leading brands, which are ideal for Diageo at this time. We are confident that Lewis will work with the team to lead Diageo into a successful next chapter in an evolving consumer landscape. The Board would like to acknowledge and thank Nik Jhangiani for his excellent leadership as Interim CEO and for continuing to execute Diageo’s refined strategy.”