Debra Crew

Debra Crew
Crew in 2022
Debra Crew
Born	20 12, 1970
Birthplace	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Business executive
Title	Incoming Chair of Stanley Black & Decker
Known for	CEO of Diageo (2023–2025), CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

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 most prominent consumer goods corporations, including PepsiCo, Mars, Incorporated, and Dreyer's, before becoming the first female CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and later the first woman to lead Diageo. Her appointment at Diageo in 2023 made her one of the most prominent women in global business, and she was repeatedly named to Fortune magazine's list of Most Powerful Women. Crew departed Diageo in July 2025 by mutual agreement after a challenging two-year tenure marked by declining sales volumes and a broader downturn in the global spirits market. Following her departure from Diageo, she was named incoming chair of the board of Stanley Black & Decker.

Early Life

Debra Ann Crew was born on December 20, 1970, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Details about her upbringing and family background are limited in public sources, though reporting by The Times noted that Crew had a background connected to military service prior to her corporate career. Hawaii's multicultural environment and its connections to the United States military establishment formed the backdrop of Crew's early years before she pursued higher education on the mainland.

Education

Crew earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Denver. She later completed a Master of Business Administration at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, one of the highest-ranked business schools in the United States. Her MBA from Booth positioned her for a career in senior management roles across global consumer goods companies.

Career

Early Career: PepsiCo, Mars, and Dreyer's

Before rising to prominence in chief executive roles, Crew accumulated extensive experience in the consumer goods sector. She held senior management positions at PepsiCo, one of the world's largest food and beverage companies. She also served in leadership roles at Mars, Incorporated, the privately held confectionery and food corporation, and at Dreyer's, the ice cream manufacturer that operates as a subsidiary of Nestlé. These roles provided Crew with broad experience in brand management, operations, and international markets within the consumer packaged goods industry.

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

In September 2014, Crew was named president and chief executive officer of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the second-largest tobacco company in the United States and a subsidiary of Reynolds American. Her appointment made her the first woman to lead the tobacco company. The role came at a significant time for the company, as Reynolds American was in the process of completing its acquisition of Lorillard, which would consolidate major U.S. tobacco brands under one corporate umbrella.

In September 2015, Crew added the title of chief operating officer of Reynolds American, the parent company, to her existing role as CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco. This dual role gave her oversight of both the operating subsidiary and the broader corporate operations of Reynolds American, which was then a Fortune 500 company.

By October 2016, Crew was positioned as the incoming CEO of Reynolds American itself, a further elevation that would have placed her at the helm of one of the largest publicly traded tobacco companies in the world. However, the planned succession was overtaken by British American Tobacco's acquisition of Reynolds American, which was completed in 2017. The takeover effectively ended Crew's tenure at the company, as the merged entity came under the leadership of British American Tobacco's existing management.

Her time at R. J. Reynolds and Reynolds American brought Crew significant recognition. In 2014, Fortune magazine named her to its annual Most Powerful Women list at number 44. She was again included on the list in subsequent years, reflecting her standing as one of the most senior women in American business.

Diageo: North American President

Following her departure from the tobacco industry, Crew joined Diageo, the British multinational beverage alcohol company whose portfolio includes brands such as Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, and Tanqueray. She was appointed president of Diageo North America, the company's largest market by revenue. In this role, Crew was responsible for overseeing the company's operations across the United States, Canada, and other North American markets during a period of significant growth for the premium spirits sector.

Her performance as head of the North American division, which represented the single largest contributor to Diageo's global revenues, positioned her as a leading candidate for the company's top leadership role.

Diageo: Chief Executive Officer

In June 2023, Diageo announced that Sir Ivan Menezes, who had served as CEO since 2013, would retire and that Crew would succeed him as chief executive officer. The succession was accelerated following the unexpected death of Menezes in June 2023, and Crew assumed the role on an interim basis before being confirmed as permanent CEO. Her appointment made her the first woman to serve as CEO of Diageo, a milestone noted in international business media.

Crew's tenure as CEO coincided with a difficult period for the global spirits industry. The post-COVID-19 boom in spirits consumption, which had driven significant revenue growth during 2021 and 2022, gave way to a sharp normalization in demand. Consumers who had stockpiled premium spirits during the pandemic began reducing their purchases, and macroeconomic headwinds including inflation and rising interest rates weighed on discretionary spending in key markets.

Diageo's results during Crew's tenure reflected these challenges. The company faced a significant drop in sales in Latin America and declining volume across several key categories globally. As The Guardian observed, the difficulties at Diageo under Crew's leadership were tied in large part to broader market conditions rather than solely to management decisions, though questions arose about the company's strategic response to the downturn.

Departure from Diageo

On July 16, 2025, Diageo announced that Crew had stepped down as chief executive officer and as a member of the board of directors, with immediate effect. The company stated that the departure was "by mutual agreement." Chief financial officer Nik Jhangiani was named as interim CEO while the board conducted a search for a permanent successor.

Reuters reported that Crew's departure came as Diageo was pursuing a turnaround strategy involving cost-cutting measures, and that the board had concluded a change in leadership was needed to execute the next phase of the company's restructuring. The Guardian's financial columnist Nils Pratley wrote that Crew's departure "has felt possible for at least half" of her two-year tenure, noting that the post-COVID hangover in spirits demand had proven difficult to overcome.

Diageo's annual report, published after Crew's departure, disclosed that she received total compensation of approximately $4.9 million (£3.6 million) in her final year as CEO.

Post-Diageo: Stanley Black & Decker

Following her departure from Diageo, Crew continued her career in corporate governance. Stanley Black & Decker, the American industrial tools and household hardware manufacturer, announced that Crew had been named incoming chair of the company's board of directors. The appointment was set to become effective upon the retirement of executive chair Donald Allan Jr. on October 1, 2026. Crew had previously served as a non-executive director on the Stanley Black & Decker board.

Board Memberships

In addition to her executive roles, Crew has served as a non-executive board member of Mondelēz International, the multinational confectionery, food, and beverage company that owns brands including Cadbury, Oreo, and Toblerone. She has also served on the board of Stanley Black & Decker, where she was elevated to incoming chair of the board.

Personal Life

Crew was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. Reporting by The Times of London referenced a background connected to military service prior to her career in the corporate sector. Further details about Crew's personal life, including information about her family, have not been widely reported in public sources.

Recognition

Crew has received significant recognition throughout her career as one of the most senior women in American and global business. Fortune magazine named her to its annual Most Powerful Women list in 2014, ranking her at number 44, in recognition of her role as CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. She appeared on the list again in subsequent years, reflecting her continued prominence in executive leadership.

Her appointment as CEO of Diageo in 2023 was widely covered in the international business press, with The Wall Street Journal noting that she was the first woman to serve as chief executive of the company. Forbes has also included her on its list of the world's most powerful women.

Her career trajectory — spanning consumer goods at PepsiCo and Mars, through the tobacco industry at R. J. Reynolds, and into the global spirits sector at Diageo — placed her among a small number of women who have led major multinational corporations across multiple industries.

Legacy

Crew's career is notable for spanning several distinct sectors of the consumer goods industry, from food and beverages to tobacco and spirits. Her appointment as CEO of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2014 made her one of the first women to lead a major American tobacco company, and her subsequent elevation to CEO of Diageo in 2023 made her the first woman to hold that position at the world's largest spirits maker.

Her tenure at Diageo, while cut short by mutual agreement after approximately two years, coincided with one of the most challenging periods for the global spirits industry in recent decades. The post-pandemic normalization of demand, combined with macroeconomic pressures, created headwinds that proved difficult for the company to navigate. Industry analysts and commentators noted that many of the challenges Crew faced were structural rather than solely a reflection of her leadership decisions.

Crew's continued involvement in corporate governance, including her appointment as incoming chair of Stanley Black & Decker, indicates an ongoing role in American business leadership beyond her operational executive career. Her career path, from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business through senior roles at some of the world's largest consumer companies, has made her a frequently cited example of women advancing to the highest levels of corporate leadership in traditionally male-dominated industries.