Diageo's Cristina Diezhandino Named as Luxury Woman to Watch in 2018

Diageo's Cristina Diezhandino, joins the ranks of top executives from Bentley Motors, Four Seasons, Bang & Olufsen amongst others as she is named a Luxury Woman to Watch 2018 by the prestigious global title, Luxury Daily.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549192/Diageo_Cristina_Diezhandino.jpg )

Luxury Daily's Luxury Women to Watch 2018 honours 25 smart women executives who are set to make a difference in the luxury business in 2018. Having worked at global spirits leader, Diageo, for over ten years, Cristina is now Managing Director of the multi-award winning Reserve Brands, the luxury portfolio of Diageo.

Speaking about this award, Cristina said: "Luxury is at the heart of what I do. My business is focused on making the everyday more special, that luxury experiences should be available, accessible and aspirational to all. So when I heard that I was being named as a Luxury Woman to Watch in 2018, I was absolutely delighted!"

With brands steeped in heritage, craftsmanship and authenticity, the Reserve and Scotch portfolios - including Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Cîroc, Don Julio, Bulleit, Tanqueray No. Ten, Ketel One, Zacapa and a fine collection of Single Malts - are made up of some of the most luxurious spirits in the world.

Commenting on the future of luxury, Cristina said: "The luxury industry is evolving at a rapid pace, in large part driven by a changing definition of 'luxury'. It isn't just about 'having' anymore. Luxury is multifaceted, so influenced by globalisation, a pride in local culture, and the volume of influencers across society.

"With the desire for experiences and emotion gaining more and more significance in the luxury industry, expect to see 'being' or 'feeling' becoming as equally important as 'having'. And when it comes to luxury drinks, I expect a mindset closer to that of luxury food and gastronomy. People caring more than ever about how a particular drink was made, where it comes from, how it is served."

Speaking about Diageo's future in luxury, she says: "Luxury consumers are really valuing Reserve brands and the figures are there to show it. Our portfolio is flourishing, with Diageo Reserve having grown by 7% in the last financial year.

"We have invested heavily in global research to ensure remain at the forefront of the luxury sector. Following in the pioneering global footsteps of the founders our brands we will continue to be entrepreneurial in our drive to outperform our competitions in every market."  

Notes to Editors:  

Biography of Cristina Diezhandino   

Cristina Diezhandino is the Managing Director of Global Reserve brands. Diageo Reserve is Diageo's collection of premium spirits which represents 16% of Diageo net sales and grew 7% across all regions in the last year.

Cristina has been in this role for over two years and has been with Diageo for over ten years with previous roles including General Manager Central America & Caribbean and Marketing & Innovation Diageo Africa.

Prior to joining Diageo, Cristina was Corporate Marketing Director Spain for Allied Domecq and before this held various Marketing roles with Unilever HPC working in Spain, the UK and the US for over 10 years. Cristina is a graduate from ICADE business school in Madrid (1989), obtained an Erasmus scholarship at ESSEC in Paris (1988) and is a graduate of the Executive Program at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (2015). Based in Amsterdam, Cristina also serves as Director to the Board of Ketel One vodka, which sits within the Diageo Reserve collection.

Cristina is available for interview and comments relating to:

• Luxury and Scotch drinks industry
• Luxury and Scotch drinks trends
• Current affairs affecting / relating to the luxury and Scotch drinks industry
• Her role as the Diageo Global Category Director for Scotch and Reserve Brands

She speaks fluent Spanish and English. For more information, to arrange an interview time or if you would like to meet Cristina when she is next in your country, please speak to the press office contact.

About Diageo Reserve  

Created in 2004, Diageo's Reserve division focuses on the global luxury opportunity, bringing together brands built on strong heritage, craftsmanship and authenticity. This luxury portfolio consists of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Ciroc, Don Julio, Tanqueray No. TEN, Ketel One vodka, Zacapa, Bulleit and a fine collection of Single Malts. The Reserve portfolio accounts for 16% of Diageo's total sales and has grown by 7% this financial year.

About Diageo  

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, J&B, Buchanan's and Windsor whiskies, Smirnoff and Ciroc vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and our products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world. For more information about Diageo, our people, our brands and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, http://www.DRINKIQ.com for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere

For more information or to request an interview with Cristina Diezhandino please contact: Nicola Minford, Smarts Communicate, E: Nicola.minford@smartscommunicate.com , T: +44-7841-635002