Diageo has considered external candidates for CEO role, FT reports

(Reuters) -Diageo, the world's top spirits maker, has considered external candidates for its chief executive role including outgoing GSK CEO Emma Walmsley, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the situation.

Walmsley has not engaged with Diageo or its board on this matter and has "zero interest in the position," a person close to GSK told Reuters.

GSK declined to comment and Diageo did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

In September, GSK said Walmsley would step down at the end of the year and be replaced by insider Luke Miels.

Interim Diageo CEO Nik Jhangiani stepped in after the abrupt exit of former CEO Debra Crew in July, after she struggled to win over investors following a bumpy start to her tenure.

Jhangiani previously said he expected a decision on a permanent replacement by the end of October, but the company did not provide an update when it cut its sales and profit forecasts on Thursday.

(Reporting by Rishabh Jaiswal, Preetika Parashuraman in Bengaluru, and Bhanvi Satija in London; Editing by William Mallard, Thomas Derpinghaus and Conor Humphries)