- KBL Managing Director John Musunga has been appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria PLC, a Diageo subsidiary
- Musunga will officially start in the new position from November 1, 2022, taking over from Baker Magunda, who has decided to take early retirement
- Musunga was appointed MD of KBL in March 2021 and has, over the last 19 months, led the business as it recovered from the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded phenomenal growth
Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) Managing Director John Musunga has been appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guinness Nigeria PLC, a Diageo subsidiary.
Musunga will officially start in the new position from November 1, 2022, taking over from Baker Magunda, who has decided to take early retirement.
Musunga was appointed MD of KBL in March 2021 and has, over the last 19 months, led the business as it recovered from the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and recorded phenomenal growth.
EABL PLC Group Managing Director and CEO, Jane Karuku, said the firm was extremely pleased with Musunga's promotion.
"Over the last 19 months, his work has been outstanding, especially his leadership in helping our Kenya business navigate and emerge stronger through the pandemic. He is passionate about driving business results through the power of strong teams and creating an environment where people can be at their best. We wish him the best in the next phase of this career journey."
Before joining KBL, he previously held leadership roles at GSK, with senior positions in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa and Europe.
Among other industry roles, he has previously served as a Non-Executive Director for the Vision 2030 Board in Kenya and chaired the Kenya Association of Pharmaceuticals Industry and the Kenya HIV/AIDS Business Council.]
With his appointment, KBL has once again contributed as a leader to the global Diageo business, continuing the established tradition where the company's executives have taken on bigger roles within the Group.
In July last year, Ednah Otieno joined Diageo in Great Britain as Human Resources Director. She was previously the Group HR Director at EABL.
Later in October, Alvin Mbugua joined Diageo's Caribbean and Central America region as Managing Director to steer the company's largest beer business unit in Latin America and the Caribbean. Before that, he was the managing director for Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) and previously worked in a series of roles within the EABL having joined in May 2013 as the Group Financial Controller.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
And in January this year, Eric Kanja, a seasoned finance professional and former KBL Head of Commercial Finance, joined as Finance Director in Diageo Japan, reinforcing EABL's credentials as a net talent exporter.
In a related story, the East African Breweries PLC (EABL) recently reported that KSh 109.4 billion in net sales for the full year ended 30 June 2022, representing a 27 per cent growth compared to the same period last year, as the business marks 100 years of operations in the region.
The Group's net sales were boosted by double-digit growth across all its markets and categories owing to an improved operating environment as outlets reopened, coupled with sustained investment in marketing and commercial activities.
EABL navigated rising inflation and increase in excise taxes through strategic pricing and effective cost management to deliver its highest profit in 5 years of KSh 15.6 billion, up 124 per cent.
EABL delivered a strong beer performance, up 27 per cent, aided by the beer recovery in Kenya. The Group's spirits category was up 26 per cent, boosted by a 27 per cent growth in mainstream spirits.
EABL Group MD and CEO Jane Karuku said: "EABL has delivered another set of consistently strong results across key metrics. These results reflect the high-performance culture we have created across the business, the rigorous execution of our strategy, the strength of our portfolio across categories and our agility in responding to emerging trends and insights."
