Bahar Uçanlar, General Manager of Diageo Türkiye, has been promoted to the role of Brand and Category Director for Diageo’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, one of the world's largest premium beverage alcohol companies. Effective 1 July 2026, Uçanlar will report to Dayalan Nayager, President of Diageo Europe, Middle East and Africa, and will be responsible for overseeing the company's iconic brands and categories across more than 80 markets.

One of the world's largest premium beverage alcohol companies, Diageo has announced a significant global leadership appointment from Türkiye. As of 1 July 2026, Bahar Uçanlar, currently General Manager of Diageo Türkiye, will assume the role of Brand and Category Director for Diageo's Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

In her new position, Uçanlar will report to Dayalan Nayager, President of Diageo Europe, Middle East and Africa, and will lead the management of Diageo's brands and categories across the region's dynamic, diverse, and high-growth markets. She will oversee operations spanning more than 80 countries while continuing to be based in Istanbul.

Appointed General Manager of Diageo Türkiye on 1 April 2024, Uçanlar has played a pivotal role in driving the Turkish organization to strong business performance, increasing its visibility within the global business, and strengthening its integration with Diageo's international organization. Under her leadership, Diageo Türkiye achieved double-digit growth across multiple product categories, recorded its highest export figures to date, and became one of Diageo's fastest-growing markets worldwide. She also strengthened a people-centered, inclusive, and high-performance culture while building a strong talent pipeline that contributed to the broader global organization.

A graduate of the Business Administration Department at Boğaziçi University, Uçanlar began her professional career in 2000. She earned her MBA from the University of Michigan between 2002 and 2004. During her time as a management consultant at Bain & Company, she specialized in the FMCG, healthcare, and private equity sectors. Following management roles at PepsiCo in the United States, she returned to Türkiye in 2011, where she held senior strategy and marketing positions at Mondelez International, Turkcell, and Kantar Research. In 2017, she was appointed General Manager of Mars Sportif, a position she held for nearly three years. Uçanlar joined Diageo Türkiye in January 2021 as Marketing Director, a role she held for three years before being appointed General Manager.