Ivan Menezes, who has had a significant impact on the global beverages business over the past three decades and was widely regarded for his dedication to diversity, passed away after a brief illness.
He was 63.
Menezes served as Diageo’s chief executive until earlier this week.
Diageo is a large beverage company with well-known brands like Johnnie Walker Whisky, Smirnoff vodka, and Guinness.
According to Diageo’s statement, Menezes passed away on Wednesday, two days after he said he was stepping down due to complications after an emergency operation for an ulcer.
After ten years at the helm of the corporation, which has a market value on the London Stock Exchange of $75 billion ($93 billion), Menezes was set to stand down as chief executive at the end of the month. Additionally, Diageo is responsible for about 10% of all food and beverage exports from the UK.
According to chairman Javier Ferran, Ivan was among the best leaders of his time.
Ivan helped Diageo grow over 25 years to become one of the best-performing, most dependable, admired consumer corporations.
Menezes was born in Pune, India, in 1959. He was a citizen of the United Kingdom, the United States, and the country of his birth abroad.
In January, he received a knighthood as part of King Charles III’s first New Year’s awards for contributions to equality and business. Under his direction, Diageo made significant advancements in its leadership diversity; the company reported that more than 40% of senior leadership roles held by the company internationally are held by women, and 37% are varied in terms of ethnicity.
Mark Kent, CEO of the Scotch Whisky Association, the lobbying organization that Menezes also chaired, said of Menezes: “He was a kind and loving person being in addition to being a consummate professional and one of the most accomplished corporate executives of his time.
Shibani, Menezes’ wife, and their two children, Nikhil and Rohini, are left behind.
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