Crew has stepped down from her role as chief executive officer and as board director.
The beverage company, which is headquartered in London, made the announcement on Wednesday 16 July.
Search process
It added the board had already begun a “comprehensive formal search process”, which would include consideration of internal and external candidates.
Until a permanent appointment is made Diageo chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani will assume the role of CEO on an interim basis.
Crew has led Diageo as chief executive officer since June 2023, having joined Diageo as a non-executive director in 2019, then serving as president of Diageo North America and subsequently as group chief operating officer.
Diageo said its fiscal guidance for 2025 and 2026 remained unchanged from its Q3 trading statement, which showed net sales increased 2.9% in the quarter.
Macroeconomic volatility
The group, which distributes Guinness alongside of a range of spirits including Captain Morgan’s rum, will publish its full year results on Tuesday 5 August as planned.
Diageo chair John Manzoni said: “On behalf of Diageo and the board, I would like to thank Debra for her contributions to Diageo, including steering the company through the challenging aftermath of the global pandemic and the ensuing geopolitical and macroeconomic volatility.
“On behalf of all Diageo colleagues, I wish her every success in the future. The Board’s focus is on securing the best candidate to lead Diageo and take the company forward. We strongly believe Diageo is well placed to deliver long-term, sustainable value creation.”
