London, United Kingdom, March 2026 — Diageo has appointed Steve McCrystal as Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO). He started in the role at the beginning of the year and will lead Diageo’s digital transformation agenda focused on consumers and customers, differentiating the business across demand generation and fulfilment through Digital, Data and AI.
In his new position, Steve McCrystal will be responsible for driving technology-led transformation that strengthens customer experiences and accelerates performance across the value chain. His mandate includes leveraging data and AI capabilities to enable faster decision-making, improve execution, and enhance how Diageo builds brands and serves markets.
McCrystal joins this role after nearly seven years at Unilever as Chief Enterprise and Technology Officer, where he led global business service capabilities spanning information technology, financial operations, HR services, real estate and facilities, and supply chain services. His tenure reflected deep experience in operating model leadership, enterprise transformation, and building scalable service capabilities.
Prior to Unilever, he served at AstraZeneca as Vice President, Global Business Services, where he led global business services with a focus on innovation, scale, and delivery excellence. Earlier, he was at Vodafone as Senior Vice President, Global Head of Shared Services, building expertise in large-scale shared services operations and global delivery models.
McCrystal is also familiar with Diageo, having previously held senior leadership roles within the company, including serving as Senior Vice President, Global Diageo Business Services, and earlier as Executive Vice President IS, where he was responsible for information technology investment across supply chain, sales and marketing, and back-office systems.
Earlier in his career, he served as CIO at PepsiCo, and held multiple CIO roles across GE businesses including GE Healthcare Financial Services and GE Capital, building deep enterprise technology leadership experience across financial services and healthcare environments. He also held an early leadership role at KPMG as Senior Manager, Package Solutions.
About Diageo
Diageo is a global leader in premium drinks across spirits and beer, with over 200 brands sold in 180 countries. With a portfolio ranging from global giants to local legends, the company is powered by over 30,000 people across more than 135 countries.
Diageo continues to invest in the future and remains mindful of its impact, working to “raise the bar” for people as well as the planet.
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