Deirdre Mahlan Named President, Diageo North America, Amid Executive Shuffle

Following the announcement in recent days that Diageo North America president Larry Schwartz will retire at the end of 2015, the drinks giant has named current Diageo chief financial officer Deirdre Mahlan as Schwartz’s successor. Mahlan’s replacement as CFO of Diageo will be named in due course, the company said. Until that appointment is made, she will remain in her current role.

“Deirdre has extensive experience and knowledge of our North America business,” said Diageo PLC chief executive Ivan Menezes. “She joined Diageo from Seagram along with Larry and was my CFO in North America for many years. She is a terrific leader with a strong performance drive, commercial orientation and a real passion for the business.”

Additionally, Diageo has appointed Tom Looney as the North American unit’s president, open and control states, replacing Mark Hubler, who is leaving the company July 31 to become president of wholesaler Johnson Brothers Liquor Co. Looney is currently president of Diageo-Guinness USA. Replacing him in that post will be Tom Day, currently DGUSA’s senior vice president of sales.

Meanwhile, Diageo NA has expanded the role of chief commercial officer Jeff Ivey to include leadership of the unit’s national accounts business, a move it says will streamline and accelerate the company’s national accounts performance. Finally, Claudia Schubert, currently Diageo NA’s president, control states, has been appointed general manager, Continental Europe, effective September 1.

“Diageo North America is a strong business and we are determined to deliver on that strength,” said Menezes in a statement. “Today we announced a number of organizational changes in Diageo North America and I am delighted that we can also announce that Deirdre will be leading this change. Deirdre has been an exceptional CFO and has the skills, together with experience of the market, to lead the next stage of growth in North America,” added Menezes.

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Tagged : Diageo, Diageo North America

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