Diageo has announced that its chief executive officer Sir Ivan Menezes will be retiring and is set to depart from the Diageo Board on 30 June this year, following 10 years leading the company.

Attracting younger wine drinkers and in-country representation is key to success in Asia, says research commissioned by Messe Düsseldorf, the company behind ProWein.

Diageo has appointed Ivan Menezes to the newly created role of chief operating officer. Menezes is currently president Diageo North America and chairman of Diageo Asia Pacific and Diageo Latin America & Caribbean.  He will take up the role on March 1, 2012.

Diageo has appointed a head of its Western Europe division. From September 1, John Kennedy is to become chief operating officer, Diageo Western Europe. Kennedy is currently managing director, Diageo Ireland.

Constellation Brands has named Jay Wright, currently president of its North American division, as its new chief operating officer (COO), effective immediately. In his new role, Wright will oversee marketing, sales and operations across the company. This is the first time Constellation Brands has appointed such a role and a statement from the company said “the creation of the COO role is the latest step in the company's evolution to further refine and streamline its organisation”.

Patrón Spirits has appointed Phil Gervasi, a former VP at Diageo, as executive vice president of sales for North America.

Bill Samuels Jr is to step down as president of Maker’s Mark bourbon.