Change to Board of Directors

Diageo PLC
24 July 2000


Paul Walsh to become Diageo CEO on 1 September 2000.
Diageo announces new senior management team
=====================================================
                                       
Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company has announced that
Paul Walsh, currently Chief Operating Officer, will succeed John McGrath as
Group Chief Executive on 1 September 2000. Mr McGrath will remain an Executive
director of Diageo until his previously announced retirement on 31 December
2000.

Commenting John McGrath said:

'Last week we announced our plans to combine Pillsbury with General Mills and
to bring together Guinness and UDV into one beverage alcohol business. Six
weeks ago we signalled the planned partial flotation of Burger King. These
moves together complete the latest stage of Diageo's strategic development.

'This will be the right time for me to hand over to Paul Walsh. The business
he will lead is the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company. Paul Walsh
is a man of outstanding vision and great talent. Backed by a first rate team,
I am confident that he will take Diageo to great success in the years ahead.
Until my retirement I will be working with Paul and our new Chairman, James
Blyth, to ensure a seamless transition.'

Following the decision to combine Guinness with UDV, Diageo has also today
confirmed its new senior management team.  With effect from 1 September 2000,
Diageo's Executive committee will comprise:

Paul Walsh          Group Chief Executive Diageo and CEO Guinness/UDV
Jack Keenan         Deputy CEO, Guinness/UDV
Jim Grover          Group Strategy Director
John Lilly          CEO of The Pillsbury Company
Andrew Morgan       Group Chief Information Officer & President New Business
                    Ventures
Tim Proctor         Group General Counsel
Nick Rose           Group Finance Director
Colin Storm         CEO of Burger King
Gareth Williams     Group Director of Human Resources
Paul Clinton        President, North America, Guinness/UDV
Stuart Fletcher     President, Key Markets, Guinness/UDV
Rob Malcolm         President, Global Marketing, Sales & Innovation,
                    Guinness/UDV
Ian Meakins         President, European Major Markets and Global Supply,
                    Guinness/UDV
Ivan Menezes        President, Venture Markets Guinness/UDV

Members of the Diageo Executive committee report to Paul Walsh. He, together
with Jack Keenan, Nick Rose and Colin Storm are also members of the Diageo plc
Board. There are no changes to the membership of the Diageo Board.

Commenting on these appointments Paul Walsh said:

'The new Executive committee has been designed to support Diageo's strategic
realignment behind beverage alcohol. By focusing on beverage alcohol, Diageo
is placing itself at the centre of one of the most exciting consumer goods
markets. This team has a balance of great experience and energy with proven
skills in marketing and operational delivery. We're very excited by the
opportunities and challenges that we see ahead.'

Investor enquiries:

Catherine James     [phone]

Media enquiries:

Ian Wright          [phone]

Notes to editors

1. Diageo

Diageo is one of the world's leading consumer goods companies.  Formed in
December 1997 through the merger of Grand Metropolitan PLC and Guinness,
Diageo has an outstanding portfolio of world famous food and drinks brands
including Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Guinness, J&B, Tanqueray and Burger King.
Diageo employs some 72,000 people across more than 200 markets worldwide.  On
22 June 2000, Diageo announced its intention to spin-off up to 20 per cent of
its Burger King business. On 17 July 2000, the company announced the proposed
combination of its Pillsbury food business with General Mills of the US.  For
more information about Diageo and its brands, go to www.diageo.com

2. Biographies

Paul Walsh
==========
Paul Walsh is currently Chief Operating Officer of Diageo plc.  He was
appointed to this position on 1 January 2000.  Previously, he was Chief
Executive Officer of Pillsbury from 1992 and he joined the Board of GrandMet
in 1995.  He originally joined GrandMet's brewing division Watney, Mann and
Truman Brewers in 1982 as a Financial Planning and Accounts Manager. Paul was
educated at Manchester Polytechnic (now Manchester Polytechnic University).
Born in Manchester in May 1955 he is married with one son.

John McGrath
============
John McGrath was appointed Group Chief Executive of Diageo plc when the
company was created in December 1997.  Prior to the merger of Guinness and
Grand Metropolitan, which created Diageo, he  was Group Chief Executive of
GrandMet, a position he had held since 1 March 1996. He had previously held a
number of senior positions at International Distillers & Vintners (IDV),
GrandMet's spirits and wines business, including Managing Director, Chief
Executive and Chairman. He joined IDV in 1991 as Joint Managing Director and
was appointed to the GrandMet Board in 1992.  John McGrath joined GrandMet
from Compair Ltd in 1985 as Group Director of Watney Mann and Truman Brewers
Ltd.  In May 1986 he became Managing Director and later that year Chairman and
Managing Director of GrandMet Brewing.

In September 1999, Boots plc announced that John McGrath would become its non-
executive Chairman with effect from July 2000 prior to his retirement from
Diageo in December 2000.  John was educated at Brunel University.  Born in
Ruislip in June 1938, he is married with two children.

Jack Keenan
===========
Jack Keenan is currently Chief Executive of UDV and a member of the Diageo plc
Board. He was appointed to both positions in December 1997. Jack originally
joined International Distillers & Vintners (IDV) as Chief Executive in March
1996 when he was also appointed to the Board of GrandMet.  Prior to this he
spent more than 30 years in marketing and general management positions with
the General Foods Group and Kraft Foods International, subsidiaries of the
Philip Morris Companies, rising to Chairman, Kraft Foods International.  Jack
was educated at Tufts University and Boston and Harvard Business School.  Born
in New York in October 1936, he is married with one son.

For more information about Diageo and biographies of all other members of the
Diageo Executive and Diageo plc Board go to www.diageo.com