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Diageo Appoints Lynn Walding to Position of Executive Director, Control States

NORWALK, Conn., May 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, beer and wine company announced today the appointment of Lynn Walding as Executive Director Control States effective immediately. Walding has recently stepped down as Administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division.

This new position will support Diageo's critical social responsibility, responsible drinking, and corporate citizenship activities within the Control State community, as well as expanding dialogue with Control State leadership to ensure that Diageo objectives are communicated and also that Diageo digests individual states' actions, projects, and concerns. This will entail working with Control State leadership across Diageo's regulatory and legislative agenda, including market access, as well as tight coordination with Diageo's Control State commercial team.

Walding will work for Guy Smith, Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Ken Lane, Vice President, State Government Affairs, and will be an integral member of the Control State leadership team under the direction of Mark Hubler, President, Control States.

"Lynn comes to Diageo with more than a decade of highly successful leadership of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division. He brings with him an enviable combination of superior business and management professionalism, astute political and legislative acumen, and many deep and trusting relationships within the Control State community. We know he will be a true asset to the Diageo family," stated Smith and Hubler.

The Control States are comprised of 19 jurisdictions that directly control the sale and distribution of alcohol beverages.

Walding serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where he teaches graduate courses on Administrative Law, Law & Public Management, and Business, Government & Society in ISU's Masters of Public Administration program. Prior to becoming Administrator of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division Lynn served as Assistant Attorney General of the Iowa Department of Justice.

He has served on the Board of Directors of the Responsible Retailing Forum and was Chair of the Joint Committee of the States. He was president of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators and also of the National Alcoholic Beverage Control Association.

Walding will be based out of Iowa in this role.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE).

For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Diageo