Benjamin Lickfett is also head of Diageo's incubator, Fusion Partnership Lab.
Benjamin Lickfett, photo courtesy of LinkedIn
Benjamin Lickfett has been made global vice president of breakthrough innovation for digital and ventures at Diageo, a UK multinational drinks company.
He joined the company in 2016 as a marketing technology lead, before being made head of technology and innovation for Europe in 2017. Before that he was global head of digital innovation from 2020.
Founded in 1997, Diageo is one of the world’s largest alcoholic drinks producers and distributors. It owns brands such as Smirnoff, Gordon’s gin, and Guinness.
It is the sole funding partner for Distill Ventures, which it contributed $5m to in 2022. Distill Ventures is an accelerator for startups in the drinks industry. It has invested globally in companies including Idle Hands, a US flavoured tequila maker, and Lot42, which makes a range of pre-made cocktails.
Lickfett is also cofounder and board member of Allergy Cosmos, a British online retailer for non-medical allergy products. Before joining Diageo, he cofounded and worked for Kriticalmass, a fund which targeted brands it thought had positive social impact.
