Diageo Korea said Friday it has appointed Dan Hamilton as a new CEO.

According to the world‘s largest distiller and producer of major whisky brands including Johnny Walker and Windsor, Dan Hamilton has become the new CEO starting Friday as his predecessor Robert Rhee, who had led the company since 2018, will leave the business on Oct. 31.

After joining Diageo in 2011, Hamilton served several senior leadership and general management roles in India, China, Japan and Europe. As the CEO of Diageo Japan between 2016 and 2019, Hamilton propelled the success of Scotch whisky and Guinness beer in the country, according to the firm. Hamilton also led the success of Baijiu, Scotch whisky and Guinness beer in the Chinese market. Most recently, Hamilton was the CEO of Diageo Northern Europe.

“I am confident that Dan will build on progress made and momentum gained by Robert and our team in Korea. Dan brings with him enormous passion for driving transformational outcomes and delivering outstanding results with diverse teams everywhere he has been. Korea is a priority market for Diageo, and we aim to continue to surprise and delight our customers and consumers,” said Sam Fischer, President of Diageo’s Greater China and Asia Pacific region.

By Kim Byung-wook (kbw@heraldcorp.com)