Diageo appoints regional managing directors

Diageo has appointed Simon Litherland as managing director for Great Britain, following the promotion of Benet Slay (pictured) to the same role for Northern Europe.

Litherland joins Diageo GB from Brandhouse South Africa, where he is managing director. Brandhouse is a joint venture between Diageo, Heineken and Namibia Breweries.

Slay, a former PepsiCo sales chief, will stay in his GB position until the end of Diageo’s financial year in June. He took up the position of managing director on-trade at Diageo GB in 2004 and became joint managing director in 2005 and assumed sole responsibility in 2006.

Litherland has been with Diageo for 16 years after joining Pillsbury UK in 1992. He became finance director of IDV International Operations and Africa in 1995 and has held several roles in Eastern Europe. In 2001, he moved to Dublin as managing director of Baileys Supply and moved to South Africa in 2003.

Diageo GB’s marketing director is Philip Almond.