Diageo is preparing for a change of senior leadership, Global Drinks Intel can reveal, with regional head John Kennedy set to leave after 27 years.
The group president for Europe, Turkey & India will step down at the end of Diageo’s current financial year – 30 June 2023 – with his current responsibilities to be divided out internally. Kennedy, who joined the group in 1996, has held his current role since 2016, having previously been president for Europe, Russia & Turkey for two years.
Details on where he is moving to were not immediately available.
Replacing Kennedy in Europe, and assuming his position on the executive committee, will be Soraya Benchikh, who joined Diageo as MD for Northern Europe from British American Tobacco in 2020. Benchikh takes on her new responsibilities at the start of next month, with Olena Neznal moving across from Kimberly Clark to lead across Germany, Poland, Nordics and the Netherlands.
As for India, where Diageo owns the former United Spirits business, “executive accountability” will switch to the group’s president for Asia Pacific & Global Travel, John O’Keeffe.
In the company’s most recent full-year results, announced in July, the Europe reporting region came in 30% up on the corresponding 12 months, with Guinness earning a namecheck for maximising the return of the on-premise channel, not only in its home market of Ireland but also in the UK and the south of the region.
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