Who was Sir Ivan Menezes, the former CEO of Diageo, who passed away at the age of 63?

The former CEO of Diageo, a British multinational alcoholic beverage company that distributes the likes of Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, has passed away at the age of 63.

The company announced the death of Sir Ivan Menezes following a brief illness where he had to undergo emergency surgery on Monday.

Javier Ferran, the chairman of Diageo, stated: “This is an incredibly sad day. Ivan was undoubtedly one of the finest leaders of his generation. Ivan was there at the creation of Diageo and over 25 years, shaped Diageo to become one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer companies.”

Sir Ivan was born in India to Manuel Menezes, the chairman of the Indian Railway Board, but moved to the US to complete his education at North Western University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Business ran in the blood of Sir Ivan’s family as his brother Victor is also the former chairman and CEO of Citibank.

The 63-year-old joined Diageo in 1997 and held various positions including CEO for a decade while also working as a non-executive director for fashion company Coach as seen on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Michael B Jordan.

The former Diageo boss, whose net worth was estimated at $5 million, was married with two children and received a knighthood in the 2023 New Year’s Honours for services to business and equality.

Former COO of Diageo Debra Crew has been appointed as interim chief executive with immediate effect following the loss of Sir Ivan.