Simone Sargeant recognised in Management Today’s 35 Under 35 List for 2023

23 Jun 2023 Great BritainChampion Inclusion and Diversity

Simone has been acknowledged for her role in transforming Diageo GB’s digital strategy, as well as her commitment to championing inclusion and diversity.

We are delighted that Simone Sargeant, Digital Director, has been recognised in Management Today’s annual 35 Women Under 35 list, which celebrates the UK’s most impressive women in business.

Simone joined Diageo in March 2022 as Digital Director and leads a large cross-functional team that drives our digital strategy across the GB market. Responsible for a variety of digital channels including TheBar.Com and The Bar Flagship Store in 1HQ; she is pioneering a digital-first approach to our consumers. Simone is also part of the GB leadership team, playing a critical role in digitizing our overall go-to-market approach. Based in London, Simone has been influential in driving digital transformation across the GB business, whilst also cementing herself as a true champion of Diageo’s Inclusion & Diversity ambitions.

Her commitment to driving diversity across the industry is epitomized by her work as the founder of the Black FMCG Collective, a cross-industry initiative that is the primary support network for Black professionals within the FMCG sector. This network is now made up of over 150 individuals, representing a number of FMCG businesses. Simone organized the inaugural Black FMCG Collective X Diageo launch event in March this year, which saw speakers share inspiring stories about their challenges, learnings, and what we can all do to support budding Black talent.

You can view the full list here.

I’m incredibly proud to be included in this year’s list amongst such inspirational women. My one piece of advice to anyone reading this is to keep learning, stay resilient, and be agile to change. Change brings opportunity and truly allows you to be anything you want; I have done a lot of it in my professional career, and it has no doubt helped me find my voice and recognize my strengths.

Simone Sargeant

Digital Director

Simone has brought energy, professionalism, and outstanding leadership to one of the Diageo GB business’s key growth engines in digital transformation. Simone’s positivity and desire to help others embodies Diageo’s thriving culture to achieve greatness. From day one with us she was bringing ideas and developing strategies, all whilst encouraging her team to be the best they can be. Diageo, and the wider industry, are incredibly lucky to have Simone.

Nuno Teles

Managing Director, GB

Our commitment to gender equality

Diageo is proud of the strides we have made to accelerate gender equality within our business. Not only is 64% of our board female, but we have also increased female representation across leadership, including our Executive Committee, to 44%. This progress has been recognised by several prestigious awards and rankings, with Diageo ranking 2^nd globally and 1^st in the UK within Equileap’s 2023 Gender Equality Global Report, the top company for female representation at Board level in FTSE Women Leaders Review, as well as being included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year.