Michael Ward
Executive Vice President, North America Strategy and Canada, Diageo North America
As the Executive Vice President of Canada and North America Strategy, Michael oversees the execution of our North America growth strategy. Before rejoining the organization, Michael spent 25 years with Diageo, most recently serving as Global Head of Innovation, where he significantly accelerated performance through a recruit-centric growth strategy. He played a crucial role in developing new growth areas, including the No-Alcohol category, and led the creation of the Breakthrough Innovation team. Prior to that, Michael held various leadership roles in Innovation and Marketing across the North American business, including for brands such as Smirnoff, RTDs, and Guinness.
After leaving Diageo in 2022, Michael served as a Senior Advisor at Boston Consulting Group, where he worked across a breadth of companies and industries in FMCG, durables, and pharmaceuticals, and collaborated on several publications. He has also advised numerous drink and tech start-ups as a Board advisor.
Michael is known for his strategic acumen, performance focus, positive energy, collaborative style, and deep commitment to building teams and talent. Based in our North America headquarters, Michael resides in New York.