Deepika Warrier to join Diageo India as CMO

Longtime PepsiCo marketer Deepika Warrier will take on the Diageo India CMO role at the end of July.

Current CMO Julie Bramham has been elevated as global brand director for Johnnie Walker.

Anand Kripalu, managing director and CEO, Diageo India, said, “We are delighted to welcome Deepika to the Diageo India family. Her strong consumer-centric approach combined with her transformational leadership skills makes her a tremendous asset to Diageo. We would also like to thank Julie for her many contributions to the business, including setting a new direction for our brand portfolio as well as the Innovation programme.’

Meanwhile, incoming CMO Warrier spent two decades at PepsiCo, most recently as managing director of NourishCo Beverages. NourishCo is a joint venture between PepsiCo and Tata Consumer Products, and two months ago, Tata bought out PepsiCo’s stake in the JV.

On a LinkedIn post, Warrier said:

PepsiCo has been a true alma mater and college of leadership - teaching me appreciation for great talent, how to combine data with storytelling to write inspiring strategy, the importance of execution, passion for our brands and pride in our products and so much more. The company has great leaders, past and present, who not only ensured that I learnt every day of the past 20 years with critical experiences, but also stood by me through personal crisis. And of course so many friends and colleagues and agency partners who were there for me through thick and thin. It’s difficult for me to summarise 20 years in a post and name so many who have made such a difference to my life and that of my family, but suffice to say… you can take a girl out of Pepsi , but…

In her new role, Warrier will work alongside Kripalu as well as Diageo CMO Cristina Diezhandino.

(This article first appeared on CampaignAsia.com)