Our Business

East African Breweries PLC (EABL) is East Africa’s leading branded alcohol beverage business with an outstanding collection of brands that range from beer, spirits and adult non-alcoholic drinks (ANADs), reaffirming our standing as a total adult beverage (TAB) company.
With breweries, distilleries, support industries and a distribution network across the region, the group’s diversity is an important factor in delivering the highest quality brands to East African consumers and long-term value to East African investors.
As a consumer-driven business, EABL takes time to study the market and understand consumer needs and wants and how best to satisfy them. That is why we constantly invest in innovating and renovating our brands to stay on par with dynamic consumer trends. This goes hand in hand with our Vision to be the most celebrated business in Eastern Africa.

our business

 

Our Companies

Introduction

EABL’s diversity as a robust regional company is revealed in its subsidiaries, which are: Kenya Breweries Limited, Uganda Breweries Limited, International Distillers Uganda Limited, Serengeti Breweries Limited, UDV (K) Ltd and East African Maltings Limited.

With this vast distribution of markets, knowledge and manpower ‘Celebrating Life Every day, Everywhere’ is EABL’s way of life.

Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) has been a leading brewer in Kenya since it began operations in 1922. The KBL Brewery is located in Ruaraka, near Kenya's capital Nairobi. This state-of-the-art facility has generated major savings in cost of production as well as improving quality. 

Key brands include: Tusker Lager which is the flagship brand, Tusker Malt Lager, Tusker Lite, Tusker Cider, Pilsner, WhiteCap, WhiteCap Crisp, Senator, Guinness, Balozi and Senator among others.

In 2018 we commissioned the KBL Kisumu Brewery plant at a cost of Kshs 14 billion, aimed at supplementing the demand for our Senator keg product, whilst availing an affordable and healthy beverage. The investment also supports efforts in eliminating illicit brews. The plant produces Senator Keg made using locally-sourced sorghum. Further, we have consistently increased utilization of the brewery in Kisumu giving a robust and sustainable income to 17,000 additional sorghum farmers delivering the crop to the brewery.”

Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) has been a leading brewer in Uganda since it began operations in 1946. Located in Port Bell Luzira in the outskirts of Kampala, the brewery is continuously modernized and its operating capacity expanded.

Bell Lager is the company's flagship brand which has been in the market for over 60 years. Other key UBL brands include: Bell Lager (the flagship band), Tusker Malt, Pilsner, Senator, Guinness and Ngule, among others. 

The company through our other subsidiary International Distillers Uganda Limited (IDU) is proud to be the custodian of leading global spirits brands; many of them have stood the test of time, spanning several centuries and produces great spirits brands such as the leading Uganda Waragi and The Don Waragi.

UBL has a rich talent pool of some of the best-trained people. It directly employs over 390 staff but indirectly creates employment for thousands more through the vast supply and distribution chain. Website: www.ugandabreweries.com

Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) is a leading beer and spirits company in Tanzania. It has, over two decades, built a reputation for quality and grown to play a major role as an investor, local manufacturer, and employer. A business of which Tanzanians can be proud. From owning a single small brewery based in Dar es Salaam, SBL now operates three breweries located in Moshi, Mwanza, and Dar es Salaam, employing over 800 staff – both directly and indirectly. 

The company was incorporated in 1988 as Associated Breweries Limited and changed its name to Serengeti Breweries Limited in 2002. SBL’s headquarters are in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

Since the creation of SBL in 2002, the business has grown from strength to strength and the acquisition by EABL has seen increased investment in further growth leading to greater job opportunities for the people of Tanzania. Key brands include its flagship brand - Serengeti Premium Lager, Serengeti Lite, Tusker Lager, Tusker Malt Lager, Guinness Stout, Johnnie Walker Whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, Gilbey's Gin, Richot Brandy, Bond 7 Whiskey and Baileys Irish Cream.

http://www.serengetibreweries.co.tz/

Established in 1962, UDV (K) Limited’s core business is in the manufacture, marketing, and sales of spirit based alcoholic beverages. It also imports and distributes premium spirit brands from the parent company, Diageo.

Some of the local and international brands, which have been produced and marketed in Kenya over the last 20-46 years, are Smirnoff, Kenya Cane, Gilbey’s, Richot, V&A, and Bond 7. Other international corporate brands that the company imports and distributes include: Bailey's, Johnnie Walker range, Gordon’s, J&B Whisky, Captain Morgan, and VAT 69 among many others.

Located in Industrial Area - Nairobi, East African Maltings Limited (EAML) plays a vital role in supplying quality brewing raw materials in the form of Malt, Barley, and Sorghum to EABL.

Our barley seed processing plant based in Molo ensures that barley farmers get quality seed for commercial production. In both Kenya and Uganda, we have developed sorghum as an additional brewing raw material. The move to encourage sorghum growing in East Africa has borne fruit, given that it thrives even in the semi-arid areas, which currently do not have significant economic activities. 

Over time we have managed to create a network of more than 60,000 farmers supplying the company with 80% of raw materials. In return, EAML provides farmers with free inputs (seeds), fertilisers, extension services, and other technical and financial support needed for farming. With a ready market and the contract farming that guarantees the purchase of their harvests, we have thus helped build sustainability. Through these initiatives and the direct payments to the farmers, EAML has played a part in local wealth creation, creating value directly to local economies and building capacity among the communities we work in. 

Our Values

Our Values are at the heart of our business. They form a critical element of our corporate strategy, influencing the way we work everyday and everywhere.

Passionate about consumers and customers

We are passionate about consumers and customers. Our curiosity, and consumer and customer insights drive growth. We care for our brands and are committed to pursuing their fullest potential.

Value each other

We value each other and build real relationships. We seek to leverage diverse people and perspectives. We trust and empower each other to win. We speak and challenge openly to grow people and the business.
 

Proud of what we do

We are proud of what we do and how we do it. We take accountability and act sensitively with the highest standards of integrity and social responsibility. We celebrate inclusion and diversity.

Be better

We strive to be better. We are restless, always learning, always improving. We are innovative and courageous. We experiment and take risks, and we learn quickly from successes and failures.

To be the most celebrated business in every market in Eastern Africa.

To create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products company in Africa. 

East African Breweries PLC (EABL) is East Africa’s leading branded alcohol beverage business with an outstanding collection of brands that range from beer, spirits, and adult non-alcoholic drinks (ANADs) reaffirming our standing as a total adult beverage (TAB) company.

Established in 1922, EABL’s extensive network of breweries, distillers, and distribution network spans across the six markets within which we operate in Eastern Africa, especially concentrated in the three core markets of Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Our group’s diversity is an important factor in delivering the highest quality brands to East African consumers and long-term value to East African investors. Despite operating in these key East African markets, our unique products can be found in more than 10 countries across Africa and beyond.

As a consumer-driven business, EABL takes time to study the market and understand consumer needs and wants as well as how best to satisfy them. That is why we constantly invest in innovating and renovating our brands to stay on par with dynamic consumer trends. This goes hand in hand with our Vision to be the most celebrated business in Eastern Africa.

Our business model is centered on country-specific strategies, which allow us the agility to identify and shape consumer trends, as well as respond to market dynamics to support growth. We are a proud grain to-glass business and remain steadfastly focused on:

  • Producing quality beer, spirits, and adult non-alcoholic beverages (ANADs).

  • Investing in responsible marketing to build aspirations for high-quality brands. 

  • Continuously innovating to unlock new opportunities and deliver new offerings that meet changing consumer demands.

  • Transforming sales execution and extending our reach to ensure our consumers can access and enjoy our brands every day, everywhere.

  • Sourcing and producing locally where viable to support local communities.

  • Playing a positive role in society and delivering value to our stakeholders and shareholders.

Celebrating life every day, everywhere.

Leadership

Board Audit and Risk

The Audit and Risk Management Committee is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the integrity of the financial statements, the effectiveness of the accounting, internal control and business risk systems of the Group, the efficiency of the Group's procedures for handling whistle blowing allegations. The Committee is also responsible for monitoring and reviewing the performance of the Group's external auditors by keeping under review their independence and objectivity, making recommendations as to their reappointment (or where appropriate, making recommendations for change), and approving their terms of engagement and the level of audit fees payable to them. All members of the Committee are Non-Executive Directors.

PwC are the Group's auditors. The Committee remains satisfied with their effectiveness. The external auditors are required to rotate the audit partners responsible for the audit at least every seven years.

Click here to download the Board Audit & Risk Committee TOR

Board Corporate Governance Committee

The Board Corporate Governance Committee has oversight on the adherence and compliance by the Company to the principles and requirements of good corporate governance and business ethics. All members of the Committee are Non-Executive Directors.

Click here to download the Board Corporate Governance Committee TOR

Board Investment Committee

In May this year, the board constituted a Board Investment Committee whose mandate is to review and interrogate any investments or divestments that would have any significant impact on the company's balance sheet. Two members of the committee are Independent Non-Executive Directors.

The Committee's other responsibility is the review and approval of remuneration for Executive Directors and senior management and staff incentive schemes. I also make recommendations on remuneration of Non-Executive Directors. It ensures that remuneration is appropriately benchmarked against other companies in the region.

Click here to download Investment Committee TOR

Board Nominations And Remuneration

The Nomination Committee has the mandate to make recommendations to the Board on the suitability of candidates for appointment to the Board, whilst ensuring that the Board has an appropriate balance of expertise and ability. The Nomination Committee also evaluates and makes recommendations with regard to the composition of all Board Committees. In so doing, it monitors and ensures that appropriate Independent Non-Executive, Non-Executive and Executive Directors' ratios are maintained.

The Committee's other responsibility is the review and approval of remuneration for Executive Directors and senior management and staff incentive schemes. I also make recommendations on remuneration of Non-Executive Directors. It ensures that remuneration is appropriately benchmarked against other companies in the region.

For a number of years, the Company has benefitted from the presence on its Board of female Non-Executive Directors recommended for appointment by the Nomination Committee. The current level of female representation on the Board stands at 27 per cent.

Click here to download Board Nominations & Remuneration Committee

Board Charter

The Board has developed the Board Charter and Board Committee Terms of Reference in order to document its corporate governance practices and principles, in recognition of the role of good governance in corporate performance, maximization of shareholder value and protection of investors' rights, and also to promote the Company's standards of self-regulation.

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Ms Lorna Benton

Non-Executive Director

The Board of East African Breweries PLC is pleased to announce Ms. Lorna Benton’s appointment as a Non-Executive Director, effective 18th March 2025. Lorna is currently the Group Performance & Reward Director at Diageo PLC, a role she assumed in April 2023. She previously led Global Reward for WPP PLC and Compass Group PLC, holding senior executive positions. In addition, Ms. Benton serves as an Independent Member of the Remuneration Committee of the Rugby Football Union.

A seasoned FTSE 10 Global Reward Director, Lorna’s expertise spans M&A, employee relations, performance management, and diversity & inclusion. She has successfully led high-performing teams in matrix structures, leveraging her results-driven leadership to foster strong partnerships across diverse industries and cultures.

We welcome Lorna to the EABL board and look forward to tapping into her extensive global experience.

Mr Anthony Njenga

Supply Chain Director

Previously, Anthony has been in Australia as a Supply Chain Director where he had significant impact on the Supply function and entire Diageo Australia organisation. He strengthened performance and established fundamental supply rhythms, achieving good service levels and creating significant efficiencies in how we do business.
Under his leadership, the performance of the supply function improved dramatically, and he embedded a transformation agenda that has not only improved how the sites operate today but also fundamentally transform and create a future-fit Supply Chain for the decades to come.
Anthony has had a rich career in Diageo. He joined in 2018 as Supply Chain Director – Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) and later moved to Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) in Tanzania as Supply Chain Director, a role he held for three years. He brings over 20 years of multi-market experience having also worked for Coca-Cola’s bottling system businesses in Mozambique, Tanzania and Nigeria.
Anthony is known for his significant supply expertise, customer mindset, and most importantly, as a great leader who has an impact not just on his team but the entire organisation around him.

HR Director

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Jacqueline Wanyama as EABL HR Director, effective 5th November 2024.

Jacqueline joins EABL from The Safal Group, a leading industrial manufacturing organisation with operations across East and Southern Africa, where she served as Group HR Officer. In this role, she was responsible for leading the overall HR strategy to drive business performance—focusing on people, culture, and capability strategies, talent development, employee engagement, and best-in-class inclusion and diversity initiatives.

Before Safal, Jacqueline was the HR Development Director at Lafarge Western Canada, overseeing over 2,000 employees and supporting a business with revenues exceeding $500 million.

With a career spanning more than 20 years, Jacqueline brings a wealth of experience from several multinational organisations, including Colgate-Palmolive, British American Tobacco (BAT), and the financial services sector through her time at Standard Chartered Bank.

Mr Alvin Mbugua

General Manager, Spirits

Alvin Mbugua

General Manager, Spirits

Mr Paul Deo Makanza

Independent Non-Executive Director

Paul is a seasoned business executive with extensive experience in the service and manufacturing sectors. Paul began his career as a Consultant at Coopers & Lybrand in Tanzania from 1992 to 1997 and then served as a Senior Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers from 1998 to 2001. He then became the Director of Corporate Affairs at Tanzania Cigarette Company PLC (JTI Tanzania) from 2001 to 2016, followed by his role as Regional Director of Corporate Affairs for Sub-Saharan Africa at JTI UK from 2017 to 2020.

 

He currently serves as Chairman of ABSA Bank Tanzania, Tanzania Cigarette Company Plc, Tanzania Startup Association, and the Confederation of Tanzania Industries. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF) and a Board member of the East African Business Council. Paul was also recently appointed as Chairman of Serengeti Breweries Limited.

 

Paul holds a post-graduate degree from The Netherlands Business School in Corporate Finance and a Bachelors’ Degree in Commerce from the University of Swaziland.

Ms Angela Namwakira

Company Secretary

Angela, a Partner at Adili Corporate Services Kenya, is a corporate governance and legal professional with over 15 years of experience acting as Company Secretary to various reputable multinationals, locally quoted companies, not-for-profit entities, small and medium sized enterprises spanning multiple sectors.

She has a demonstrable track record as a corporate governance advisor and as a corporate secretarial practitioner, and she regularly advises on company law, statutory and regulatory compliance, strategic planning, corporate structuring and immigration matters.

Angela holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree from the University of Nairobi. She is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, a practising Certified Secretary and an accredited Governance Auditor. She is also a Member of the Women on Boards Network (WOBN).

Mr Sathish Krishnan

Non-Executive Director

The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Sathish Krishnan as a Non-Executive Director in East African Breweries PLC with effect from 27th July 2023.

Sathish is an experienced CFO, Board member & consummate organizational leader with over two decades of experience in leading multinationals. Sathish was appointed Regional CFO for Diageo Asia Pacific and Global Travel Retail in September 2021.

Based in Singapore, he oversees Diageo’s regional operations and Global Travel Retail operations, leading a team focused on building strategies that deliver transformational results and create long-term sustainable value for the business.

Prior to joining Diageo, Sathish spent 18 years at P&G in various senior finance positions across India, Singapore, the Philippines, China, and Middle East & Africa.

His experience spanned roles across corporate strategy & planning, corporate finance, market finance, shared services, and as business unit CFO.

Sathish has a post-graduate degree from the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore, India) and a Bachelor’s in Accounting & Commerce from RKM Vivekananda College (Chennai, India). He is also an Associate Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India.

Ms Risper Ohaga

Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Risper Ohaga is the Group Chief Financial Officer. She is a seasoned finance professional with over 20 years’ experience and is a seasoned Board member. Ms. Ohaga joined EABL in February 2020, from  the Absa Group (previously Barclays Africa Group) where she held various senior roles across several African markets with the most recent posting being Finance Director of Absa Bank Zambia Plc. Prior to that, she held the role of Managing Director for Internal Audit based in Johannesburg. She has extensive regional experience in tax and regulatory matters, strategy, risk management and corporate finance, having started her career in KPMG Kenya.

Ms. Ohaga is a CPA (Kenya) and holds a BCom (Hons) in Accounting from The University of Nairobi.

Board Experience:

• Ms. Ohaga is a past Board member of Barclays Bank Zambia.

• She is a Director in Kenya Breweries Limited and UDV (Kenya Limited), both subsidiaries of EABL.

• She is also a Non-Executive Director at APA Insurance and Apollo Group.

Mr Felix Okoboi

Independent Non-Executive Director

The Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Felix Okoboi as an Independent Non-Executive Director in East African Breweries PLC with effect from 30th May 2023.

Felix is an experienced finance and investments professional, with over 25 years of local and international finance, development finance, real estate and project management experience having worked in various roles in U.S.A, Europe and Uganda. He is passionate about Impact Investing and Sustainability, and also specializes in advisory work in the Distressed Assets, Real Estate and Equity Investments space.Felix holds and has held several leadership positions in his career.

He is currently the Board Chairman of Uganda Development Bank, the Board Chairman of the Agricultural Business Initiative (aBi) and the Board Chairman of Britam Insurance Uganda. He is also the Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Yield Uganda Investment Fund, Uganda’s largest Impact Equity Investment Fund for Agribusiness.Felix holds an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School, and a Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a graduate of the Aachen University of Technology (RWTH Aachen) in Germany where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Engineering with a major in Architecture.

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Dr Obinna Anyalebechi

Managing Director, Serengeti Breweries Limited

Dr Obinna Anyalebechi is the Managing Director of Serengeti Breweries Limited (SBL) from 1st March 2023.

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Obinna was the Field Sales and Operations at Diageo Great Britain for a year and half where he successfully elevated the levels of customer service, process innovation and data driven execution rigor.

He has over 16 years cognate experience in Marketing and Commercial functions garnered whilst working across different multinationals, brands and categories. He joined Diageo in 2012 and has held several roles including Customer Marketing Director, Nigeria and Commercial Director, Ghana.

Prior to joining Diageo, he held marketing roles at Promasidor Nigeria Limited and Unilever Nigeria PLC.

Obinna holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the Darden School of Business, Cranfield School of Management and the I.E. Business School. He has also attended management courses at Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management and IMD.

Mr Andrew Kilonzo

Managing Director Uganda Breweries Limited

Andrew Kilonzo was appointed Managing Director, Uganda Breweries Limited (UBL) effective 1st April 2022. Andrew has held several Executive roles across Diageo. Until his appointment, he was the Managing Director of Meta Abo business in Ethiopia. Prior to the Ethiopia role, he was the Commercial Director at Kenya Breweries Limited since 2016. He has also served as Sales Director for the Premium Trade business in Kenya since 2013, where he led the spirit's transformation by driving a robust IPS and reserve brands' consumer participation. He is not new to the UBL business, having previously served as the Sales Director from 2010 to 2013, driving a turnaround within the business during this significant period when new investment in UBL was just starting.

Mr Eric Kiniti

Group Corporate Relations Director

Eric is currently the Group Corporate Relations Director at East African Breweries Limited and also serves as a Non-Executive Director of Uganda Breweries Limited Board.
 
He is an experienced public policy, sustainability and communications practitioner with over 17 years’ experience. He has experience in tax and public policy in the East African Community countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan. Prior to joining EABL in 2011, he worked in British American Tobacco in various roles within the Corporate and Regulatory Affairs department in East Africa.
 
He is a board member at Kenya Cultural Centre (a state corporation) and Safe Way Right Way Kenya (an NGO). He is also a member of the Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK).
 
He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from Kenyatta University. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Public Policy Management from the University of London. He is also a graduate of the Leadership Development Programme (LDP), Gordon Institute of Business (GIBS) in South Africa, Advanced Management Programme (AMP) at the Strathmore Business School and the Fast Forward Leadership Development Programme at Sunwords in Nairobi.

Mr Nadida Rowlands

Group Legal Director

Nadida was appointed Kenya Breweries Limited as Legal Director on 1st June 2015 and later as EABL Legal Director in September 2018.

Nadida has built a credible and dynamic new legal function over the years under a strong legal mission to ‘Enable and Protect Growth’ for the business.  

This new legal function has been recognized internally and externally and covers the Brand Protection, Corporate Security, Information Management and Records, Corporate Governance and Legal departments. 
 
Nadida is commercially minded with a proven track record of delivering results in a highly dynamic corporate environment. He brings along vast experience in Commercial and Civil Litigation, Company and Corporate law, Criminal Law & Litigation having successfully managed complex legal operations in the FMCG sector for over 15 years. 
 
Prior to joining the EABL Group, Nadida was the Senior Legal Counsel for British American Tobacco East and Central Africa Area after four years in private practice.

Mr Mark Ocitti

Managing Director, Kenya Breweries Limited

Mark Ocitti is the Managing Director of Kenya Breweries Limited.

Mr. Ocitti joined EABL in August 2014 as Managing Director for EABL International (EABLi), leading the growth of our export business in Rwanda, Burundi, East Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Sudan, before moving to his home country as Uganda Breweries Limited MD in 2016.

Mark then moved to Tanzania in July 2019 to take up the role of Managing Director for Serengeti Breweries where he has overseen unprecedent growth, investment and launch of innovations.

Prior to joining Diageo/EABL, Mark spent eleven years in the oil industry with Shell International in Uganda and eight years in the telecommunications industry with Bharti Airtel.

Mark has an Honours degree in Statistics from Makerere University and an MBA from Herriot Watt University in Scotland. He also has an Executive MBA from London Business School.

Ms Risper Ohaga

Executive Director and Group Chief Financial Officer

Ms. Risper Ohaga is the Group Chief Financial Officer. She is a seasoned finance professional with over 20 years’ experience and is a seasoned Board member. Ms. Ohaga joined EABL in February 2020, from  the Absa Group (previously Barclays Africa Group) where she held various senior roles across several African markets with the most recent posting being Finance Director of Absa Bank Zambia Plc. Prior to that, she held the role of Managing Director for Internal Audit based in Johannesburg. She has extensive regional experience in tax and regulatory matters, strategy, risk management and corporate finance, having started her career in KPMG Kenya.

Ms. Ohaga is a CPA (Kenya) and holds a BCom (Hons) in Accounting from The University of Nairobi.

Board Experience:

• Ms. Ohaga is a past Board member of Barclays Bank Zambia.

• She is a Director in Kenya Breweries Limited and UDV (Kenya Limited), both subsidiaries of EABL.

• She is also a Non-Executive Director at APA Insurance and Apollo Group.

Ms Jane Karuku

Executive Director, Group Managing Director and CEO

Mrs. Jane Karuku is the Group Managing Director and CEO of EABL having been appointed on 1st January 2021. Previously she was the Managing Director of Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) since July 2015. She is a dynamic business leader, with strong management experience spanning over 20 years in FMCG and Non-Governmental organizations.

Prior to her appointment to KBL, she was the President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). She has also previously held a number of senior positions in various companies including Deputy Chief Executive and Secretary-General, Telkom Kenya, and Managing Director, Cadbury East and Central Africa.

Prior to that Ms. Karuku worked with Farmers Choice Kenya and Kenya Cooperative Creameries. She has been a member of the board of Barclays Bank of Kenya and Junior Achievement-Kenya.

She is currently the Chairperson of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund, Chairperson of Kenya’s Vision 2030 Board, a Trustee at the United States International University (USIU), and is a board member at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. Ms. Karuku holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi and an MBA in Marketing from the National University of California.

Ms Ory Okolloh

Independent Non-Executive Director

Ms. Okolloh, a lawyer by profession, is currently a Partner at Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, a pan-African focused venture capital firm that backs exceptional founders in and from Africa. She has previously been the Managing Director, Omidyar Network and Luminate Group in Africa, companies united by a common desire to catalyse social impact. Prior to this, she worked with Google as the Policy and Strategy Manager for Africa where she was credited for leading several groundbreaking efforts around access, local content and regulatory reforms.

 

Ms. Okolloh was also at the forefront of developing technology innovation as a founding member of Ushahidi. In 2014, she was named Time 100’s most influential people in the world.

 

Ms. Okolloh holds a  Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Harvard Law School.

 

Board Experience:

• Ms. Okolloh is a non-executive director in Kenya Breweries Limited and UDV (Kenya) Limited, both subsidiaries of EABL.

• She serves on the board of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company.

• She is also a board member of Deloitte Africa, the Van Leer Group, and Harvard University’s Centre for African Studies.

• She currently serves as the Chairperson of the Stanbic Foundation.

• She is a former non-executive director in Stanbic Holdings Plc and Stanbic Bank Kenya.

• She has served as an advisory board member to Twiga Foods, Amnesty International Africa among several other organisations.

Mr Leo Breen

Non-Executive Director

Mr. Leo Breen is the Finance Director, Diageo Africa, a role he has held since 2017. He has over 25 years of experience with the Diageo Group and has overseen finance operations for Diageo businesses in over  40 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa. He is an influential executive with a track record of driving business growth both in major markets and emerging markets.

Mr. Breen has a BA Hons in Philosophy from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne and is a CIMA qualified accountant from the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Board Experience:

• Mr. Breen is a Non-Executive Director of Guinness Nigeria Plc.

Mr Jimmy D. Mugerwa

Independent Non-Executive Director

Mr. Jimmy D. Mugerwa is the founder & CEO of Zoramu Consulting Group Limited, a private oil and gas Business Advisory firm. He has a distinguished career of over three decades, as a business executive  leader with the oil and gas industry, both upstream and downstream, working across Africa and Europe. Most prominently, as the Managing Director for Tullow Oil in Uganda, he led the team in the exploration and development of the Lake Albert basin oil fields, along with the East African Crude Oil  Pipeline (EACOP). Prior to this, he spent 19 years at Royal Dutch Shell, serving in several executive positions including  being the Kenya Shell Country Chair/General Manager, Shell East Africa operations, Africa Retail Marketing & Strategy Manager for Shell and was also Senior Regional Advisor for sub-Saharan Africa at the corporate head office in the Netherlands. He currently serves on the Advisory board of Veracity Worldwide.

Mr. Mugerwa holds a B.Sc. (Agric) from Makerere University and an M.Sc. degree from the University of Wales. He also holds the Financial Times Non-Executive Director Post-Graduate Diploma, holds several certificates in Oil and Gas and is an alumni of the Executive Business Leadership Programme at IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Board Experience:

• Mr. Mugerwa is a non-executive director in the Board of Uganda Breweries Limited.

• He currently serves as the Chairman of the DFCU Holding Group.

• He is an independent non-executive director at Jubilee Allianz Insurance in Uganda.

• He has held directorship roles in several boards for the Shell and Tullow companies across East Africa.

• Until December 2019, Mr. Mugerwa chaired the Presidential Investor round table for Oil and Gas for four years.

• He was a co-founder chair, together with the late Professor Wangari Maathai, of the Karura Forest Environmental Education Trust.

• He was the Chairman of the Managing Committee of Starehe Boys Centre for 8 years.

Ms Jane Karuku, MGH

Executive Director, Group Managing Director and CEO

Ms. Jane Karuku, MGH, is the Group Managing Director and CEO at East African Breweries PLC (EABL ). As the EABL Group MD & CEO, she is among the most senior women leaders in East Africa, driving the region’s largest manufacturing business to greater heights with iconic brands such as Tusker, Bell, Serengeti, Senator, Guinness and Johnnie Walker.
 
Ms. Karuku is a dynamic business leader, with strong management experience spanning over 25 years in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and non-governmental organisations. Her expansive experience straddles strategy development, operational management, marketing as well as organisational change management.
 
Ms. Karuku has previously held several board positions including, the Chair of the Vision 2030 Delivery Board, Barclays Bank (now ABSA Kenya), Trustee, USIU Kenya and Chairperson of the Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
 
She has been recognised and awarded for her contribution to the country’s social and economic development. She has been awarded the Presidential Order of Service, Uzalendo Award in May 2020 and the Moran of Golden Heart (MGH) award in December 2020.

Dr Martin Luke Oduor-Otieno, CBS

Independent Non-Executive Director and Group Chairman

Dr. Oduor-Otieno is the founder and CEO of The Leadership Group Limited, a Nairobi-based consulting firm, which is involved in facilitating board practice and leadership training as well as providing executive  coaching and business advisory services. He previously worked with Deloitte East Africa as a Financial Services Partner, and with KCB Group as Chief Executive Officer, among other senior private sector appointments. He has also served as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Planning and The Treasury, in the Government of Kenya.

Dr. Oduor-Otieno holds an honorary Doctor of Business Leadership degree from KCA University, Executive MBA from ESAMI/ Maastricht School of Management and Bachelor of Commerce degree from  niversity of Nairobi. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Programme and a Fellow of the Kenya Institute of Bankers, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, Institute of Directors Kenya and Institute of Certified Secretaries Kenya in addition to holding the International Coaching Federation’s credential as a Professional Certified Coach.

In recognition of his  contribution to national development in Kenya, Dr. Oduor-Otieno was awarded the honour of Chief of the Order of the Burning Spear (CBS) by the Head of State.

Board Experience:

• Dr. Martin Luke Oduor-Otieno is the Group Chairman of EABL.

• He is also the Chairman of Kenya Breweries Limited and UDV (Kenya) Limited, both subsidiaries of EABL.

• He is a Non-Executive Director in BAT Kenya Plc, Standard Bank Group and Standard Bank of South Africa

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