Sir Ivan Menezes, the Chief Executive Officer of Diageo, the company behind Guinness, has passed away at the age of 63

On Wednesday, the Guinness and Johnnie Walker producer said he “died after a short illness, with his family by his side.”

The British-American citizen was born in the Indian city of Pune. He is due to retire at the end of the month. Earlier this week, the agency said Menezes was taken to hospital with conditions including stomach ulcers.

“It’s an incredibly sad day. There is no doubt that Ivan is one of the best leaders of his generation,” said Diageo CEO Javier Ferrán.

“Ivan was there when Diageo was founded and for more than 25 years has made Diageo one of the most successful, trusted and respected consumer companies,” said Mr. Ferran added. Employers must limit alcohol consumption during work holidays
Domestic wine trends drive Diageo sales
Prior to Diageo, he worked in marketing and strategic planning at large companies, including food and beverage giant Nestlé.

Menezes joined Diageo in 1997 when the company was created from the merger of Guinness and London conglomerate Grand Metropolitan. During his career, he has held several management positions within the company and became the CEO in July 2013.

“It’s very good”