Diageo has strengthened its focus on North America, recruiting externally for the newly-created CEO role for the region.
Sally Grimes, who until recently was CEO of energy bar producer Clif Bar & Co, will assume the position on 1 October. She will sit alongside her peer for India, Hina Nagarajan, on the group’s executive committee.
North America and India are the only reporting regions represented by their CEOs at Diageo’s top table, with regional presidents representing Europe, Latin America & Caribbean, Africa and Asia Pacific.
Grimes took the lead at Clif Bar in early 2020 but stepped aside in March this year following the company’s sale to Mondelez for around US$3bn. Despite not holding a day job since then – according to her LinkedIn profile – Grimes sits on the boards of several businesses, including Beyond Meat and Californian wine producer Silver Oak & Twomey.
“Sally brings a significant depth of experience in the consumer goods sector in North America and has a proven ability to drive substantial growth in businesses,” said CEO Debra Crew.
Supporting Grimes will be Claudia Schubert, who will add the title of COO for North America – another new position – to her current role as the region’s president. Schubert stepped up to her current post just over a year ago as Crew made way, on her upwards journey to group COO and ultimately becoming CEO in June.
When contacted by Global Drinks Intel, a Diageo spokesperson said: “The new structure will allow Sally to focus on the strategic direction of Diageo North America and Claudia to drive operational excellence in the market.”
In results for the 12 months to the end of June, North America came in flat for Diageo in sales terms as spirits sales in the US dipped by 1%. In today’s announcement, however, the group noted a 41% top-line leap from North America since fiscal 2019 “on a constant basis”.
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