Mark Sandys has worked at Diageo for over 20 years, gaining a wealth of experience across both emerging and developed markets. He was appointed Global Head of Beer & Baileys in November 2014 and is a member of Diageo’s Global Marketing Leadership Team. Mark also holds the position of NED for Guinness Nigeria.
Based in Dublin, Mark is accountable for all of Diageo’s beer businesses worldwide, including being the Global Brand Director for Guinness. Mark is also responsible for the Baileys brand, Diageo’s 4th biggest spirits brand and the world’s best-selling liqueur. More recently, in 2016, the Smirnoff brand has come under Mark’s remit. Collectively the Beer, Baileys & Smirnoff portfolio is worth approximately 30% of the Diageo business.
Prior to his current role, he was the Category Director, Whisky & Reserve, for Diageo Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore he was responsible for driving the growth of the Scotch and Reserve portfolio across the region which saw Diageo reach record levels of market share in Whisky.
Before moving to Singapore in 2011, Mark held the position of Marketing Director for Diageo Russia and Eastern Europe for three years and was based in Moscow. Mark led the delivery of high levels of growth in these key emerging markets, building a strong Scotch portfolio, launching successful innovations such as Bells and White Horse and creating a strategy to set up these markets for future growth.
Mark first joined Diageo in 1997 as a graduate trainee and worked for his first five years in sales and marketing roles on the Guinness brand in GB, before managing the Gin portfolio in the UK and then taking the position of Strategy & Innovation Director for the Baileys Global Brand team in Dublin.
Mark is a graduate of Oxford University and is married with four young children.
