Syl Saller Email Address

Chief Marketing Officer: Marketing and Innovation

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Syl Saller is the Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer for Diageo plc, a FTSE 10 company and a member of Diageo’s Executive Committee. She oversees all global marketing, consumer planning, design, innovation, and R&D, the Digital Centre of Excellence, Distill Ventures (seed investment fund) Reserve, Diageo’s luxury division worldwide, as well as Visitor Centres across Ireland (Guinness Store house)and Scotland. Over tenure as CMO, Diageo share price has doubled, and company has developed track record for consistent growth as well as outstanding reputational integrity. Before Syl was appointed CMO, she was Diageo’s Global Innovation Director, responsible for Diageo’s innovation strategy, all new product development, R&D and Design. Prior to that, she was Marketing Director for Diageo GB, Marketing Development Director reporting to the CEO of Allied Domecq retail.She started her career in brand management at Gillette and has held GM and sales roles.Syl was a NED for Domino’s Pizza Group from 2011 to 2014, chaired the NomCo and served on the RemCo. Chair of the Diageo Distill Ventures Investment Board, board member for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the Marketing Academy, and the World Federation of Advertisers. Syl’s experience ranges from luxury goods to FMCG to retail, and she understands both developed and emerging markets. She has a proven track record in complex multi-nationals, as well as in smaller scale organisations. Syl has managed joint ventures, acquisition integrations, and several turnarounds. Her functional expertise is broad and includes marketing, digital media, innovation, sales, supply and general management. Syl is strategic, visionary, highly commercial and has consistently been seen as an exceptionally inspirational leader. She is known for her leadership development skills and is a member of the Association for Coaches, and the Marketing Academy Coaching Faculty. Syl is consistently recognised by external organisations as a leader and expert in her field. Awarded a CBE in the Queen’s 2020 Honours list for services to business and quality. She was named Marketer of the Year, one of Debretts 500 Most Influential People in Britain, WFA’s top 5 Global CMOs, Forbes 50 Most Influential CMOs, Ad Age’s Women to Watch, Marketing Week’s Vision 100 and Campaign’s Power 100. She is President of the Marketing Society, a high profile international organisation with over 2700 members. Syl is a thought leader and sought-after keynote speaker on Marketing Leadership and gender.