Debra Crew

Debra Crew
Crew in 2022
Debra Crew
Born	20 12, 1970
Birthplace	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Known for	CEO of Diageo (2023–2025), CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Awards	Fortune Most Powerful Women list

'Debra Ann Crew (born December 20, 1970) is an American business executive who served as the chief executive officer of Diageo, the world's largest spirits company, from 2023 to 2025. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, Crew built a career spanning several of the world's largest consumer goods corporations, including PepsiCo, Mars, Incorporated, and Dreyer's, before becoming the first female chief executive of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and later ascending to lead Diageo, the maker of Guinness, Johnnie Walker, and Smirnoff. Her appointment at Diageo in 2023 made her the first woman to serve as CEO of the London-listed drinks giant. Crew departed the role in July 2025 by mutual agreement after a challenging period for the company marked by declining sales volumes and a post-pandemic downturn in the spirits industry. She is a non-executive board member of Mondelēz International and was named as the incoming Chair of the board of Stanley Black & Decker. She has been recognized on Fortunes Most Powerful Women list on multiple occasions.

Early Life

Debra Ann Crew was born on December 20, 1970, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Details of her upbringing in Hawaii and family background have been reported in limited detail in public sources. According to The Times, Crew had a background that included work as a military intelligence agent before entering the corporate world, an unusual trajectory for a consumer goods executive. This military background contributed to a disciplined leadership approach that would later define her corporate career across several major multinational companies.

Education

Crew earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver. She subsequently obtained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, one of the leading graduate business programs in the United States. Her MBA from Booth provided the foundation for her career in corporate strategy and general management within the consumer goods sector.

Career

Early career at PepsiCo and Mars

Before entering the executive ranks, Crew held senior management positions at several major consumer goods companies. She served in leadership roles at PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies. She also held positions at Mars, Incorporated, the privately held confectionery and food conglomerate, and at Dreyer's, the ice cream manufacturer. These roles provided Crew with extensive experience in brand management, operations, and strategic planning across a range of consumer product categories.

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

In September 2014, Crew was named president of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the second-largest tobacco company in the United States and a subsidiary of Reynolds American. The appointment placed her in charge of one of the tobacco industry's most significant operations, overseeing brands such as Camel, Newport, and Pall Mall.

In 2015, Crew expanded her responsibilities at Reynolds American, adding the role of chief operating officer to her existing position as president of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco. Her elevation to COO signaled her growing influence within the Reynolds American corporate structure.

By October 2016, Crew was positioned to become the chief executive officer of Reynolds American, the parent company of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco. Reynolds American was at the time a Fortune 500 company with substantial revenues and a leading position in the U.S. tobacco market. Her appointment as CEO made her one of the most prominent women leading a major American corporation and earned her recognition on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list.

Crew's tenure at Reynolds American coincided with British American Tobacco's acquisition of the remaining shares of Reynolds American that it did not already own, a deal that was completed in 2017. Following the acquisition, Crew departed Reynolds American.

Diageo: North American President

In 2020, Crew joined Diageo, the London-listed multinational beverages company, as President of Diageo North America, overseeing the company's operations across the United States and Canada. North America represented Diageo's largest and most profitable market, accounting for a significant share of the company's global revenues. In this role, Crew was responsible for the commercial performance of Diageo's portfolio of brands in the region, including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Smirnoff, Captain Morgan, Ketel One, Bulleit Bourbon, Tanqueray, and Guinness.

As North American President, Crew managed the business through a period of substantial growth driven by the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on consumer behavior, which saw increased at-home spirits consumption. Her performance in the role positioned her as a leading internal candidate for Diageo's top job.

CEO of Diageo

On June 26, 2023, Diageo announced that Sir Ivan Menezes, who had served as CEO since 2013, would retire and that Crew would be appointed as his successor as chief executive officer. The transition was accelerated when Menezes, who had been diagnosed with a serious illness, died in June 2023, and Crew assumed the role of CEO on an interim basis before being confirmed permanently. She became the first woman to serve as CEO of Diageo in the company's history.

Crew's appointment was covered by major financial publications including The Wall Street Journal, which noted the historic nature of the selection of a female chief executive at the world's largest spirits company. Her background spanning multiple consumer goods sectors—from ice cream and snack foods to tobacco and alcoholic beverages—was seen as bringing a breadth of operational experience to the role.

Challenges during tenure

Crew's time as Diageo CEO was marked by significant headwinds in the global spirits market. The company faced a post-pandemic normalization of consumption patterns after several years of elevated at-home drinking during COVID-19 lockdowns. Sales volumes declined in multiple markets, with Latin America experiencing particularly sharp drops.

The Guardian characterized the period as a "post-Covid hangover" for Diageo, noting that Crew's departure had "felt possible for at least half" of her tenure as the company struggled with weakened demand. The challenges were not unique to Diageo, as the broader spirits industry experienced similar patterns of declining volume following the pandemic-era boom.

Departure

On July 16, 2025, Diageo announced that Crew had stepped down as CEO and as a member of the board of directors, effective immediately. The company stated that the departure was "by mutual agreement." Chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani was appointed to serve as interim CEO while the board conducted a search for a permanent successor.

Reuters reported that Crew's departure came as the company was pursuing a turnaround strategy that included cost cuts. Her tenure of approximately two years was relatively short by the standards of Diageo's previous chief executives.

According to Diageo's annual report, Crew received a total compensation package of approximately $4.9 million (£3.6 million) in her final year as CEO.

Post-Diageo board roles

Following her departure from Diageo, Crew continued to serve as a non-executive board member of Mondelēz International, the global snack food company.

In 2025, Stanley Black & Decker announced that Crew had been named as incoming Chair of its board of directors, effective upon the retirement of Executive Chair Donald Allan Jr. on October 1, 2026. The appointment signaled Crew's continuing prominence in American corporate governance. Crew had previously served as a director on the Stanley Black & Decker board.

Personal Life

Crew was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her background prior to entering the business world included work in military intelligence, an experience that has been noted as unusual among consumer goods executives and that she has credited with shaping her leadership approach. Further details of her personal life, including family information, have not been extensively documented in public sources.

Recognition

Crew has been recognized as one of the most prominent women in American business. She appeared on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list in 2014, when she was serving as president of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, at number 44 on the list. She was listed again in subsequent years as her responsibilities expanded to include the CEO role at Reynolds American.

She has also been included on Forbes' list of the World's Most Powerful Women.

Her appointment as the first female CEO of Diageo in 2023 was itself noted as a milestone in corporate diversity. The Wall Street Journal highlighted the significance of a woman being chosen to lead the world's largest spirits company, which at the time had a market capitalization of tens of billions of pounds.

CNBC profiled Crew as one of the notable executives reshaping the consumer goods landscape, highlighting her rapid rise through the corporate ranks across multiple industries.

Legacy

Crew's career is notable for its breadth across diverse consumer goods industries. From early roles at PepsiCo and Mars to leading R. J. Reynolds Tobacco and ultimately serving as CEO of the world's largest spirits company, she demonstrated an ability to operate across product categories that are rarely traversed by a single executive. Her path through military intelligence, ice cream, snack foods, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages made her career trajectory distinct among major corporate leaders.

Her appointment as the first female CEO of Diageo represented a significant moment for gender representation at the highest levels of the global spirits industry. While her tenure at Diageo was shortened by challenging market conditions—including the post-pandemic normalization that affected the entire spirits sector—her willingness to pursue cost-cutting measures and strategic restructuring during a difficult period was noted by industry observers.

Her subsequent appointment as incoming Chair of Stanley Black & Decker's board demonstrated that her leadership continued to be sought at major corporations following her departure from Diageo. Across her career, Crew held leadership positions at companies with combined annual revenues in the hundreds of billions of dollars, placing her among the most experienced female executives in American business history.