Diageo has today (23 September 2026) announced that Joanne Wilson will join the company as its new chief financial officer, replacing current CFO Nik Jhangiani.
The Guinness and Johnnie Walker maker said that Wilson will join its board and executive committee ‘some time in 2027,’ with an exact start date not yet confirmed.
Wilson joins from British multinational media organisation WPP, where she is currently CFO. Prior to this, she has held senior financial and commercial roles at Britvic and Tesco, bringing financial leadership experience within food and beverage and FMCG.
She has also worked in senior roles at customer data science group Dunnhumby, and KPMG, where she qualified as a chartered accountant, and is a non-executive director at media group Informa.
Jhangiani joined Diageo from Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in September 2024. He served as interim CEO from July to December 2025 following the departure of former CEO Debra Crew. During this time he oversaw the company’s Accelerate programme, with a focus on cash delivery, cost efficiency and streamlining operations.
Dave Lewis, previously chief executive at Tesco, took on the permanent CEO role at Diageo in late 2025, effective from January 2026.
Lewis thanked Jhangiani for his support, stating: “Nik and I have agreed that, now we have shared our new strategy, this is the right time for this change. Nik will remain in role to ensure a smooth handover to Joanne.”
He described Wilson as a “very experienced CFO and commercial leader who will ensure we accelerate the turnaround of Diageo, having already delivered extensive transformations in her previous companies”.
Commenting on her appointment, Wilson said: “Diageo has a unique portfolio of global brands and a clear strategy with significant opportunities ahead. I very much look forward to working together with all colleagues to consistently create value for shareholders and strong outcomes for all stakeholders.”
Jhangiani expressed pride in the company setting out its three-year financial plan to investors, noting “significant progress on deleveraging and strengthening our balance sheet”.
He added: “I would like to thank my fantastic team for their support, and I wish Dave and all our colleagues the very best for the future.”
by Melissa Bradshaw
Source: foodbev.com
Global snacking company Pladis has appointed former Kerry Group executive Frankgerald Stepp as chief supply chain officer, as it looks to build on a multi-year transformation of its global manufacturing and supply chain network.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Gerber Products Company and Nestlé USA, its parent company, alleging that consumers were misled about the safety and testing of Gerber baby food products that contained potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals.
Hundreds of supermarkets in France have been targeted in a major cyber attack that caused refrigeration systems to heat up, resulting in significant financial losses and food waste. Coopérative U was among the major retail chains impacted by the hack, which reportedly saw some fridges heat up to temperature of 50°C overnight.
