Ballesty (pictured) will be responsible for brand, category, shopper and customer marketing as well as developing Diageo’s innovation pipeline.

He replaces Matt Bruhn who left Diageo Australia in October to take up the role of Smirnoff global brand director based in New York.

Ballesty joined Diageo two years ago as a marketing manager heading up the white spirits portfolio. He began his career with Swift and Moore (now Brown Forman Australia) and later managed his own strategy and research business.