VP, Strategy

About us  

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, Diageo is home to some of the world’s most iconic drinks. From Johnnie Walker, Guinness and Don Julio, to local favourites like Crown Royal and Bulleit, we craft brands chosen for life’s moments — from everyday connections to landmark celebrations. 

Bring your talent, curiosity and ambition, and strive for your personal best alongside people who challenge, support and learn from each other. Together, as one outstanding team, we keep learning, improving and raising the bar for our brands, our business and each other. 

Join us and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more. 

About this role 

Lead the development and execution of Diageo North America's commercial strategy, with particular accountability for Route-to-Market, distributor strategy, customer and channel strategy, and commercial transformation. Serve as the strategic partner to US Sales leadership to accelerate growth, improve commercial effectiveness, and strengthen execution across customers, distributors, channels, and markets.

The role is accountable for identifying and driving the strategic choices, operating models, and transformational initiatives that shape commercial performance. This includes shaping channel and customer strategies, optimizing distributor partnerships and economics, and evaluating growth opportunities that improve market performance and strengthen competitive advantage.

As a senior leader, the role will lead Diageo's highest-priority commercial transformation initiatives, influence Executive leadership decisions, and build strategic capability across the commercial organization.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead the development and evolution of Diageo's Route-to-Market strategy, identifying strategic opportunities to accelerate growth across channels, customers, distributors, and markets.
• Serve as the strategic advisor to the President US Sales and senior commercial leadership team, helping define priorities, assess market opportunities, and make critical commercial investment decisions.
• Own the strategic and economic assessment of major commercial choices, including Route-to-Market models, distributor partnerships, channel and customer economics, resource allocation, and commercial investments, ensuring decisions maximize sustainable growth and value creation.
• Shape Diageo's long-term distributor strategy and partnerships, including assessment of distributor capabilities, economics, incentives, operating models, and potential structural changes to Route-to-Market.
• Lead end-to-end commercial transformation initiatives - from diagnostic and strategy through business case, leadership alignment, implementation design, and tracking of value delivery - to improve commercial effectiveness, sales productivity, distributor performance, resource allocation, and execution quality.
• Lead strategic assessment of evolving consumer, competitive, regulatory, and customer trends impacting the beverage alcohol landscape.
• Support annual and long-range planning processes by identifying key strategic growth drivers and risks.
• Lead market assessments, strategic partnerships, and other special projects impacting commercial growth.
• Develop Executive Committee, Board, and North America leadership presentations that communicate strategic recommendations clearly and influence key business decisions.

Experience/skills required: 

• 12+ years' professional experience, including 8-10 years’ experience across strategy consulting, corporate strategy, and experience within the consumer goods industry
• Demonstrated track record leading enterprise-wide or commercial transformation programmes, partnering with Executive and Senior Leadership teams to shape long-term business strategy and deliver measurable commercial impact
• Deep strategic, commercial and financial expertise, with a proven ability to connect enterprise strategy, commercial strategy, customer and consumer insights, competitive dynamics and market economics into clear strategic choices
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management and executive influencing skills, with extensive experience preparing and presenting recommendations to Executive and Board-level audiences
• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of developing high-performing teams, strengthening organisational capability and leading through influence in complex global organisations

Working with Us 

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you’re supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one. 

We recognise and value performance, offering our people a highly competitive Rewards and Benefits package including:  

Our purpose is crafting iconic drinks chosen for life’s moments. And it’s our people, with their different experiences, perspectives and talents, who make that possible. 

We value diversity in its broadest sense and want everyone to feel they can belong, contribute and strive for their personal best. You’ll work alongside people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives — challenging, supporting and learning from one another as one outstanding team. 

Together, we’re constantly learning and improving, combining the strength of our people, capabilities and iconic brands to raise the bar, grow and win. Wherever you join us, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute, make an impact and play your part in making life’s moments mean a little more. 

Ready to bring your best? This could be your opportunity. 

If you require a reasonable adjustment, please ensure that you capture this information when you submit your application. 

Recruitment Scam Warning 

Protecting candidates is very important to us. All communications regarding your application will come from an email address ending in @diageo.com. In our recruitment process, we'll never ask for money. 

At Diageo certain roles are eligible for additional rewards, including annual incentive payment and stock awards. US-based employees are eligible for healthcare benefits, retirement benefits , short-term and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, wellness benefits and industry leading parental leave, among others.  (Benefits/perks listed may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Diageo and the country where you work.)  The salary range displayed is the salary range for the role’s primary location.