Adam Ballesty is to head up the Diageo Australia marketing team on an interim basis following the exit of marketing and innovation director Matt Bruhn.
Ballesty currently looks after Diageo's vodka portfolio in the region, including the Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One brands. He joined the drinks maker from Pacific Brands, where he was group marketing manager for sport and footwear, 18 months ago.
The secondment will see him take responsibility for marketing and innovation across Diageo's portfolio of spirits brands which includes Bundaberg, Tanqueray and Johnnie Walker.
Diageo is still actively hunting a permanent replacement for Bruhn and is looking at both external and internal candidates, including Ballesty.
Bruhn will take up his New York post as global brand director for Smirnoff in two weeks.
He has spent two and a half years at the helm of Diageo's marketing operations in Australia, taking on the innovation area last year.
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