Chief of Scotland's biggest whisky producer steps down ‘with immediate effect'

Scottish Sun

17-07-2025

And six other whisky-producing countries that have gone from novices to powerhouses
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THE chief of Scotland's biggest whisky producer has quit the company 'with immediate effect'.
Diageo has announced the departure of boss Debra Crew following a two-year tenure.
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Booze boss Debra Crew has stepped down as the CEO of Diageo
Credit: AFP
It comes as the spirits giant has grappled with weaker sales and a sinking share price.
Ms Crew has stepped down as chief executive by "mutual agreement" with the board, the London-listed company said.
Chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani will step into the top job until a permanent boss is found.
Ms Crew became chief executive two years ago, taking over from former boss Sir Ivan Menezes, who died in June 2023.
She was the group's first female chief executive, having previously held senior positions at tobacco company Reynolds American and PepsiCo, prior to which she served as an officer in the US army.
During her tenure, Ms Crew has overseen a more challenging period for the company, which owns brands including Guinness, Gordon's and Baileys.
Its sales dropped for the first time in around four years during the 2023-24 financial year, dragged lower by a weaker performance in Latin America.
More recently, Diageo warned that it was expecting new US trade tariffs - particularly a 10 per cent levy on UK and European exports - to cost it around 150 million dollars (£112 million) each year.
The London-based company, which employs around 30,000 people, launched a 500 million dollar (£373 million) cost-saving programme over a three-year period in May.
Diageo's share price has also slumped over the last two years - nearly halving in value.
Its share price was up around 4% on Wednesday following the announcement.
With whisky its biggest export, Scotland is the world leader when it comes to producing the stuff.
Given its global popularity – 1.67billion bottles were exported in 2022 – it's no surprise other countries have been trying to tap into the market.
Here are six other whisky-producing countries that have gone from novices to powerhouses.