How Diageo CEO Debra Crew’s time in military intelligence shaped her leadership style at the Johnnie Walker and Guinness maker
Diaageo’s CEO, as a military intelligence officer, is attributed to how to lead the drink company of 30,000 behind Guinness and Johnny Walker.
Unlike many other executives, Crew did not start her career in a large company. Instead, she spent four years as a US military commander. Then she started sharpening her institutional experience in some of the largest brands of consumers in the world, including Nestlé, Mars and Pepsico.
However, Crew belongs to the lessons she learned in the army, and told Nicolai Tangen, CEO of the sovereign wealth fund in Norway, in an interview issued on Wednesday.
“When you took my first job in the army-you are walking, you are a completely new lieutenant-everyone knows everything more than you are. In a good company.
Although the setting was completely different, even in the army, as at work, it is related to finding a way to collectively succeed.
“I always think about driving first and make sure of that – what do I do to get the best in the team? … it has always been part of the way I think it should be done.”
When she joined the army for the first time, Crowe admitted, she was not athlete or skilled in the tasks she gave. However, over time, I worked hard to improve the jobs that were outside her comfort area.
Crowe said: “The amount of flexibility and confidence that gave me this later in life … Always tell people,” Try new things this kind of fear a little, because you will surprise yourself. ”
Since joining Diaageo in 2023, Crew has been forced to move in challenges, including softening alcohol spending and a Guinness deficiency led by unprecedented demand. Diaageo has also expanded non -alcoholic drinks, as it meets the moderation of the younger generation.
The company’s net sales decreased by 0.6 % during a six -month period until December, due to global uncertainty, including its largest market, the United States
Dismantling “perfection culture”
The rapidly developing drink market means that Diago needs to keep up with the pace of change-even if that means faster failure. The military captain, who turned to the CEO, said the goal for the better is a large part of Diago’s work.
The crew added that one of the previous values of the company is “to be the best”, but this “creation of perfection culture”, which hindered the company’s ability to overcome it when the plans explode. Instead, Diaageo simply modified this approach “Be Better”.
The CEO, who oversees more than 200 brands, gave an example of Margarita ready to drink. So the team wrote a poem in its honor, noticed the main lessons, and took “Dia de Los Mertetus”.
“It was a very great way, and this was in our senior leadership meeting, we could celebrate that we are trying, learn and went forward.”
This story was originally shown on Fortune.com
2025-03-26 13:33:00
