Diageo

Last updated

Diageo plc
Company type Public
Industry Drink industry
Predecessors
Founded17 December 1997;27 years ago (1997-12-17)
HeadquartersLondon, England
Key people
  • John Manzoni (Chairman)
  • Nik Jhangiani (Interim CEO)
  • Deidre Mahlan (Interim CFO)
ProductsAlcoholic beverages: spirits, beer and wine
RevenueDecrease2.svg US$20.269 billion (2024) [1]
Increase2.svg US$6.001 billion (2024) [1]
Decrease2.svg US$3.870 billion (2024) [1]
Total assets Increase2.svg US$45.474 billion (2024) [1]
Total equity Increase2.svg US$12.070 billion (2024) [1]
Number of employees
30,000 (2024) [2]
Subsidiaries United Spirits (55.9%) [1]
Website diageo.com

Diageo plc is a British multinational alcoholic beverage company headquartered in London, England. It operates from 132 sites around the world and operates in nearly 180 countries. [1] [3] It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits, with distilleries producing 40% of all Scotch whisky with over 24 brands. [4]

Contents

History

Formation

Diageo was formed in 1997 from the merger of Guinness plc and Grand Metropolitan. [5] The company was created by executives Anthony Greener and Philip Yea at Guinness, along with George Bull and John McGrath of Grand Metropolitan. [6] Shares in Diageo began trading on the London Stock Exchange on 17 December 1997. [7]

The name Diageo was created by branding consultancy Wolff Olins in 1997. [8] It derives from the Latin word diēs, meaning "day", and the Greek root geo-, meaning "earth". [9]

Operations

Leadership

Current Leadership

As of August 2025: [10]

  • Chairman: John Manzoni
  • Interim Chief Executive Officer: Nik Jhangiani (since July 2025)
  • Interim Chief Financial Officer: Deidre Mahlan (since August 2025)

Recent CEO History

  • Debra Crew (June 2023 – July 2025): Became CEO following the death of Sir Ivan Menezes; resigned with immediate effect in July 2025 [11]
  • Sir Ivan Menezes (2013 – June 2023): Led the company for a decade until his death [12]
  • Paul Walsh (2000–2013)
  • Anthony Greener (1997): First executive chairman [13]

Financial Performance

For the year ended 30 June 2025, Diageo reported organic net sales growth of 1.7%, driven by organic volume growth of 0.9% and positive price/mix of 0.8%. Net debt stood at US$21.9 billion with a leverage ratio of 3.4x net debt to adjusted EBITDA. [3]

Portfolio

Diageo owns over 200 brands across spirits, beer and wine categories. [14]

Major Brands

Spirits

Beer

The company also holds a 34% stake in Moët Hennessy, which includes Dom Pérignon, Moët & Chandon, and Veuve Clicquot. [1]

Acquisitions and Divestments

Recent Activity (2024-2025)

Major Sponsorships

In May 2025, Diageo became the Official Spirits Supporter for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central and South America. [20]

Guinness became the Official Beer of the Premier League in 2024 in a four-year partnership through 2027-28. [21]

Corporate Responsibility

DRINKiQ

Diageo operates DRINKiQ, a responsible drinking website available at www.drinkiq.com providing information about alcohol consumption. [22]

Spirit of Progress

The company's ESG action plan, Spirit of Progress, includes targets such as reaching one billion people with messages of moderation by 2030 and educating 10 million young people about the dangers of underage drinking through its SMASHED partnership. [23]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Annual Report 2024 (Form 20-F)". US Securities and Exchange Commission. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Our business model". Diageo. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "2025 Preliminary Results, year ended 30 June 2025". Diageo. 5 August 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  4. 1 2 "A Comprehensive Yet Concise History of Scotch Whisky". Bespoke Unit. 17 May 2018. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
  5. ↑ "Diageo". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "Profile: John McGrath – The Man Who'll Mix The Drinks". The Independent. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  7. ↑ "Diageo's drinks are best left on the shelf". The Independent. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  8. ↑ "Diageo Case Study". Wolff Olins. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2012.
  9. ↑ "History of Diageo". Drinks.ng. August 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
  10. ↑ "Diageo announces Interim Chief Financial Officer appointment". Diageo. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  11. ↑ Newman, Jessica (16 July 2025). "Diageo begins search for new boss as Debra Crew departs". The Times. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  12. ↑ Speed, Madeleine (7 June 2023). "Diageo chief Ivan Menezes dies". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "A liquid lunch". Forbes. Retrieved 11 December 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Our Brands". Diageo plc. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  15. ↑ "Diageo Gets Full Control of Don Julio in Swap for Bushmills". Bloomberg. 3 November 2014. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  16. ↑ Carruthers, Nicola (24 January 2025). "Diageo sells Cacique rum to La Martiniquaise". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
  17. ↑ Kiely, Melita (12 November 2024). "Diageo forms Luxury Group to accelerate growth". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  18. ↑ Simmons, Ted (25 September 2024). "Diageo acquires Ritual Zero Proof". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  19. ↑ Kiely, Melita (19 March 2024). "Port Ellen distillery back in business after 40 years". The Spirits Business. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  20. ↑ "Diageo named Official Spirits Supporter in North, Central and South America for FIFA World Cup 26™". Diageo. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  21. ↑ "Guinness becomes official beer of Premier League". Premier League. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  22. ↑ "Learn about DRINKiQ". Diageo. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
  23. ↑ "Spirit of Progress targets". Diageo. Retrieved 17 September 2025.
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