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Sir Ivan Menezes, the long-serving CEO of the world’s biggest spirits maker Diageo, passed away at the age of 63 after a short illness in London, England. This happened just days after it was announced that Menezes had been hospitalised for treatment.
Menezes had suffered a “significant setback” over the weekend because of certain complications, according to a statement put out by Diageo, which is the producer of popular alcoholic brands like Guinness, Smirnoff, Gordon’s gin, and Johnnie Walker whisky.
The company had announced on Monday that CEO-designate Debra Crew would immediately assume his role on an interim basis, while Menezes was still undergoing treatment.
Menezes was born in Pune, Maharashtra, in 1959 and was educated at the prestigious St Stephen's College in Delhi and later, the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.
His father, Manuel Menezes, was the chairman of the Indian Railway Board. He held UK and US citizenship, along with an Indian overseas citizenship.
He played a pivotal role in driving growth at Diageo and helped navigate the company through several successful acquisitions.
After the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry, Menezes led a recovery that increased Diageo’s net sales value by 36 percent more than in 2019.
He was at the helm of a company that, according to its own assessments, has expanded to encompass approximately 10 percent of the United Kingdom's overall food and beverage exports.
Menezes was knighted earlier this year in King Charles III's first New Year's honours list for services to business and to equality.
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