Paula Sheils-Ryan takes global capability role at Diageo

Paula Sheils-Ryan has announced that she is starting a new position as Global Head of Enterprise Capability at Diageo. Alongside the new role, she will lead the company’s Capability and Leadership team through a transition over the next few months.

In her announcement, Sheils-Ryan said the business had experienced substantial change and described a focus on developing capabilities across its teams, with Diageo’s new purpose and behaviours central to that work. The post did not give a precise effective date or specify when the additional team leadership responsibility would end.

Paula Sheils-Ryan’s capability remit

The announcement identifies two responsibilities: the Global Head of Enterprise Capability position and the temporary leadership of the Capability and Leadership team during the transition. It does not set out a reporting line, team size or detailed programme ownership.

That distinction matters when assessing the move. The additional team leadership is explicitly described as a responsibility for the next few months, while the enterprise capability position is the new role she has announced.

A background in learning and workforce capability

Sheils-Ryan’s professional profile describes a career that began in supply chain before moving into human resources and learning and development. Her work has included global learning projects and responsibility across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

She says her recent experience includes skills strategies connected to strategic workforce planning, the creation of a global learning and development strategy, and work on capability frameworks for the future of work. Her profile also describes partnering with the global learning and development director on the function’s agenda.

Environmental, social and governance learning is another strand of her background. She describes work involving executive education, business simulations, learning modules and social learning. Separately, the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals lists her as a Diageo participant in its 2024 discussion on building a culture of climate leadership.

Diageo’s wider learning context

Diageo’s official careers materials describe a development approach that combines coaching, leadership programmes, digital learning and on-the-job experience. Its IMPACT People Manager programme focuses on coaching, feedback, trust and inclusive team leadership.

The company also offers My Learning Hub, which brings together resources such as videos, articles, podcasts, assessments and expert talks. These are examples of Diageo’s wider learning infrastructure; the appointment announcement does not assign ownership of individual programmes to Sheils-Ryan.

Leadership through transition

For people and capability leaders, the appointment brings together enterprise skills development and an immediate team transition. The clearest stated priority is continuity through change, alongside the longer-term development of capabilities across Diageo’s workforce. Further details of the role’s operating structure have not been announced in the post.

WINC Wire’s related coverage includes Chinmay Sharma’s appointment as CHRO at Diageo India and Kamal Raza’s corporate HR and development role at The LaLiT.

Sources

Appointment announcement; Paula Sheils-Ryan’s professional profile; Diageo learning and development; ISEP conference archive.