London, United Kingdom - March 28, 2014, London, United Kingdom - Diageo, a multinational alcoholic beverages company, announces changes to the Diageo executive committee, effective 1 July 2014.
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Gilbert Ghostine will now focus on the development of Diageo position in India and China, a position which he orchestrated as he led the expansion of the company's business in Asia Pacific.
Mr. Ghostine is also asked to take on the newly created role of Chief Corporate Development Officer, responsible for Business Development. In addition he will be responsible for Diageo's relationship with Moët Hennessy and will join on the Moët Hennessy/Diageo Joint Committee. Mr. Ghostine's title will be President, Diageo India and Greater China, and Chief Corporate Development.
Mr. Ghostine has been President Asia Pacific since 2009 and a member of the Diageo Executive Committee since 2008. He began his career with Diageo in 1995 in his home country, Lebanon. In 1998 he was appointed as head of the Dubai hub, covering Africa, Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Canary Islands.
He moved to North America in 2002 to assume the role of President Central IMC, and then became President of US major markets and national accounts. In 2005, he moved to Europe with responsibility for the Northern European business and was appointed Managing Director of Continental Europe a year later. From Europe he moved to Singapore to take up the role of President Asia Pacific in June 2009. During his tenure with Diageo, Mr. Ghostine has managed Diageo businesses across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East & Asia Pacific.
The second change is to reconfigure the leadership of emerging markets outside Latin America and Caribbean and Nick Blazquez is appointed President, Diageo Africa, Eurasia and Pacific.
Mr. Blazquez will now take full responsibility for the markets of North Asia, South East Asia, Australia and GTME, alongside his existing responsibility for Africa, Turkey, Russia and Eastern Europe, and the global route to consumer work.
Mr. Blazquez was appointed President, Diageo Africa, Turkey, Russia, Central & Eastern Europe and Global Sales in July 2012. Prior to this role, he was President of Diageo Africa where since 2004 he has managed the transformational growth of businesses and brands across a number of categories in key markets.
Prior to being appointed President Diageo Africa, Mr. Blazquez was Managing Director of Diageo’s Key Markets in Asia for three years with responsibility for markets including Thailand, Korea, Japan and Taiwan. He joined Diageo in 1989 and held various senior roles within the company’s beer and spirits businesses.
David Gosnell, President Global Supply and Procurement, is retiring from the Diageo Executive Committee at the end of this financial year and David Cutter, currently International Supply Centre Director, is appointed President Global Supply and Procurement and will join the Executive Committee.
Mr. Gosnell has led Diageo’s Global Supply and Procurement organisation for ten years having joined Diageo in 1998 as European Supply Director. He became President, Global Supply in 2003 and joined the Diageo Executive Committee in 2008. He also led the development of supply footprint in the emerging markets, embedding Diageo’s global standards of operational excellence.
Mr. Cutter was appointed as Supply Director of Diageo’s International Supply Centre (ISC) in June 2013. He is responsible for all of Diageo’s spirits and beer production operations in Europe, which includes production of global brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Baileys, Smirnoff, Gordon’s and Tanqueray.
Previously Mr. Cutter was Diageo President Supply Americas overseeing the company’s end-to-end supply operations for the Americas, which comprises the North America and Latin America & Caribbean markets. During this time David also led the creation of a new distillery in the US Virgin Islands. ■