Diageo's Bold Ambition: Taking Tequila Global with CEO Debra Crew 🌎🥃
As the new CEO of Diageo, the world's largest spirits maker, Debra Crew has set her sights on a groundbreaking goal: to globalize tequila. Following its surge in popularity in the U.S., where it's on track to become the country's largest spirit, Crew is determined to replicate this success worldwide.
"Tequila has already captivated the U.S. and Mexico, making up 85% of its sales, but my ambition is simple: I want to take tequila around the world," Crew stated to investors.
Diageo, home to renowned tequila brands like Don Julio and Casamigos, is promoting the Paloma cocktail as a key strategy to change perceptions in Europe. The goal is to shift the view of tequila from a shot-based drink to a sophisticated choice that pairs well with food.
However, Crew faces challenges in core markets, including a recent profit warning and questions about Diageo's heavy reliance on tequila. Despite this, Crew, a former U.S. Army captain, and a 52-year-old Texas native, brings a wealth of experience from her time at Kraft Foods, Mars, Nestlé, Pepsi, and as the CEO of Reynolds American.
Under her leadership and the legacy of her predecessor, Ivan Menezes, tequila's contribution to Diageo's net sales has risen from 1% to 12%. Menezes's acquisition of brands like Casamigos has been pivotal in this growth.
Diageo's expansion strategy includes targeting big cities like London and Glasgow and collaborating with influential figures like Belgian DJ Charlotte de Witte. This approach aims to make tequila a global phenomenon, as stated by Campari CEO Bob Kunze-Concewitz.
Despite the challenges, Crew remains committed to her vision, leveraging Diageo's capacity and innovation to introduce tequila to new markets and audiences, proving that this spirit has the potential to resonate globally.
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