Diageo has appointed Sujay Wasan, a three-decade veteran of Procter & Gamble, as President of its Asia-Pacific business, effective August 15, 2026. The appointment strengthens the spirits maker's regional leadership at a critical moment as the company navigates a multi-billion-dollar restructuring and grapples with significant headwinds in its key markets. Wasan will join Diageo's executive committee and report directly to Chief Executive Officer Dave Lewis.
The appointment underscores Diageo's commitment to rebuilding leadership depth as it executes a $1.2 billion restructuring programme aimed at delivering $850 million in savings over two years. Wasan succeeds John O'Keeffe, who moved to the North America presidency in March following the leadership overhaul initiated when Lewis assumed the CEO role in January. A statement from Lewis emphasized Wasan's track record, noting he is "a global leader with a proven track record of consistently delivering breakthrough business results." The announcement came ahead of Diageo's full-year 2026 financial results, which revealed organic net sales had declined 2 percent to $19.6 billion, with Asia-Pacific experiencing a 6.3 percent sales decline, a region representing roughly 18 percent of company revenues.
Wasan brings extensive international experience from his nearly 28-year tenure at Procter & Gamble, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Regional Leader for the Oral Care business in North America. Earlier in his P&G career, he headed the Health Care division in North America between 2021 and 2023, overseeing brands including Vicks, Prilosec OTC, Pepto Bismol and Align with retail sales approaching $3 billion. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of P&G's Personal Health Care International business, managing a portfolio exceeding $2.5 billion across more than 100 countries. His background spans business strategy, brand development, innovation, organisational transformation and commercial execution across diverse markets including India, Singapore, Australia, Germany and the United States. Wasan holds an MBA in International Business from Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands, earned in 1998, and began his career as European Sales Manager at Venture.
Diageo, the London-headquartered maker of Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Smirnoff, faces particular challenges in the Asia-Pacific region due to the impact of government policy changes on Chinese white spirits, which contributed approximately eight percentage points to the region's overall six percent sales decline. The company's full-year results highlighted growth in Europe, Latin America and Africa, but weakness in North America, which saw sales plunge 8.4 percent. Operating profit before exceptionals grew organically by 2 percent as cost savings programmes offset top-line pressure. Under Lewis's restructuring plan, Diageo expects to incur approximately $800 million in costs during fiscal 2027, with savings materialising over the two-year programme and allowing the company to invest in business transformation without cutting overall operating profit.
Wasan's appointment reflects Diageo's strategy of importing consumer goods expertise to stabilise regional performance. The spirits industry faces structural challenges as consumer preferences shift and macroeconomic conditions remain volatile. By appointing an executive with deep experience in brand transformation and international markets at P&G, where the competitive environment demands constant innovation, Diageo appears to be signalling that it views Asia-Pacific as essential to its turnaround, even as near-term market conditions remain constrained. The appointment can be understood as indicating management confidence that the region warrants investment and experienced leadership rather than cost-cutting alone, though the broader restructuring programme suggests financial discipline remains paramount.
