Sean Penn Joins Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines as Vice President of Sales, West Region

NAPA, Calif., Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E) announced today Sean Penn has joined as Vice President of Sales, West Region.  In his new role, Penn will be responsible for leading the west coast DC&E sales organization as well as providing leadership to the Wines business as a whole.

"I had the pleasure of hiring Sean when he joined the organization 12 years ago and am absolutely thrilled to be working with him again," said Sandra LeDrew, President for DC&E. "His leadership capabilities and results driven attitude will be a huge asset to our team."

Penn has been an integral member of the Diageo organization for 12 years, and was most recently Vice President, General Manager for West Multiple region for Diageo North America, where he was responsible for managing a team of 18 and driving profit for the business across four states. Prior to joining Diageo, Sean held top sales roles for both Coca-Cola and Southern Wine & Spirits. The depth and breadth of his experience in the beverage industry and with Diageo is vital to the future success of Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines.

"Wine has always been a passion of mine and I look forward to utilizing the strong distributor relationships I have built over the years to drive superior business performance for DC&E," said Penn. "I'm honored to have the chance to be a part of some of the most revered wineries in the industry."

Sean is based in the Napa offices for Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines.

About Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines

Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines (DC&E) is part of Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O); the world's leading premium drinks business. DC&E produces and markets premium wines from around the globe including Napa Valley, Sonoma, the California Central Coast, Washington, France, New Zealand and Australia.  Brands include: Beaulieu Vineyard, Sterling Vineyards, Sterling Vintner's Collection, Chalone Vineyard, Acacia Vineyard, and Rosenblum Cellars. DC&E is also a leading importer of estate-bottled wines from Burgundy and Alsacian wines from F.E. Trimbach.

Diageo's broader business includes an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wine and beer including Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan and Crown Royal. Diageo is a global company, 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 http://www.diageo.com.

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SOURCE Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines