June 7 (Reuters) - Diageo (DGE.L) on Wednesday said long-time boss Ivan Menezes, who held the CEO role at the world's biggest spirits company for 10 years, had died after a brief illness. The 63-year-old, who was set to retire at the end of this month, was in hospital receiving treatment for conditions including a stomach ulcer, the Johnnie Walker whisky maker announced this week. British-American national Menezes, born in the Indian city of Pune, joined Diageo after its formation through the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. The executive, who was behind the "Keep Walking" campaign for Johnnie Walker when he was marketing head, previously held roles at Whirlpool and Nestle. Menezes, who was awarded a knighthood this year, is survived by his wife and two children.

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Persons: Ivan Menezes, Johnnie Walker, Debra, Menezes, Ivan, Javier Ferrán, Julio, Arvind Subramanian, Subramanian, Menzes, Eva Mathews, Sinchita Mitra, Dhanya Skariachan, Sherry Jacob, Phillips, David Evans Organizations: Diageo, American, Guinness, Grand Metropolitan, Whirlpool, Nestle, Government of, Indian Institute of Management, Thomson Locations: Indian, Pune, Government of India, Ahmedabad, India, Bengaluru