Ivan Menezes, Johnnie Walker Spirits Maker Diageo’s Indian Origin CEO, Passes Away

Ivan Manuel Menezes, the CEO of Diageo, the world’s largest spirits company, passed away on Wednesday. The reason for his death in London was not immediately known.

Abhishek Singhvi, Member of Rajya Sabha, was one of the first people to convey condolences on Twitter.

Singhvi said he was shocked and numbed to hear about the death of Menezes, who used to be his classmate at St. Columba’s School and St. Stephen’s College. He calls the Diageo CEO a “more gentle laid back” and “easy going soul” that is difficult to find. Singhvi used to joke with Menezes about how, despite having such a gentle nature, he could head a multinational company like Diageo.

Menezes, a 64-year-old executive set to retire at the end of this month, had been admitted to the hospital for various conditions, including a stomach ulcer, according to a statement issued by the company on June 5.

“Over the weekend, we learned that Ivan’s recovery suffered a significant setback due to complications, which followed emergency surgery on the ulcer,” Reuters quoted Diageo as saying.

Having joined Diageo in 1997 following its merger with Guinness and Grand Metropolitan, Menezes played a pivotal role in driving substantial sales growth and successfully navigating the company through various brand acquisitions, all while overseeing a significant sustainability transformation.

“Out of respect for Ivan and his family’s privacy, we will not be commenting further at this time,” Diageo said.

Born in Pune, India, Menezes hailed from a notable background, with his father, Manuel Menezes, serving as the chairman of the Indian Railway Board. Ivan Menezes received his education at the esteemed St. Stephen’s College in Delhi and the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.