Diageo has appointed marketing and innovation specialist Janine Blakeway as its new Global Head of Vodka Innovation, giving her responsibility for driving the company’s innovation agenda across one of its most established global spirits categories.

Blakeway takes on the new assignment after building more than seven years of experience within Diageo, during which she moved across several major spirits categories and leadership roles.

Announcing the appointment, Blakeway said the new responsibility provides an opportunity to combine the lessons, relationships and category experience she has accumulated throughout her career with a renewed focus on the future of vodka.

“I’m delighted to be starting my new role as Global Head of Vodka Innovation at Diageo,” she said.

According to Blakeway, continuous learning has remained one of the most rewarding aspects of her time at Diageo. Over the years, she has worked across gin, whisky, Baileys, tequila, rum and global luxury innovation, gaining exposure to different consumers, teams, business challenges and market opportunities.

Now, she intends to draw on that broad experience to explore emerging spaces within vodka and develop propositions that can influence the category’s next phase of growth.

“I’m incredibly excited to bring those experiences into one of our most iconic global categories, working with amazing teams to explore future spaces and help shape what’s next for Vodka,” she said.

The appointment also extends a career that has consistently centred on innovation, brand development, consumer understanding and cross functional collaboration.

Before assuming her latest role, Blakeway served as Diageo’s Global Head of Luxury Innovation from June 2025. Previously, she held the position of Head of European Innovation for Whisky, Vodka, Tequila and Baileys between October 2022 and June 2025.

She also spent several years leading European whisky innovation, after beginning her Diageo journey in European Gin and Aperitivo Innovation in 2019.

Meanwhile, her experience outside Diageo further strengthens her innovation credentials. She worked at Premier Foods as Innovation Controller for Bisto and Saxa in 2018, following more than five years at Mars, where she was Lead Marketing Innovation Manager for Chocolate.

Earlier in her career, Blakeway held marketing and brand responsibilities at major consumer goods companies including Coca Cola and Cadbury, building expertise across brand management, creative development, consumer marketing and product innovation.

Her professional background therefore spans more than two decades and cuts across food, beverages, spirits, marketing and innovation.

That breadth of experience has also shaped the way she approaches leadership and product development. Marc Zander, Chief Client Officer at Teads, who previously managed Blakeway, described her as a highly creative innovation specialist with an inclusive leadership style.

He noted her ability to bring people from different functions together, build engagement and turn innovative thinking into market ready ideas.

Joe Todman, Global R&D Vice President at Mars, similarly described Blakeway as driven, adaptable and results focused, while highlighting her ability to build strong relationships across technical, supply chain and business teams.

Those strengths could prove valuable in her new global mandate as the spirits industry continues to evolve around changing consumer expectations, emerging drinking occasions and demand for distinctive product experiences.

Against that backdrop, Blakeway will now work with Diageo’s global teams to identify new opportunities, develop innovative concepts and help define where the vodka category goes next.

Her appointment marks another step in Diageo’s effort to place innovation at the centre of its global brand and category strategy, while drawing on experienced leaders with cross category knowledge to respond to an increasingly dynamic spirits market.