Guinness Nigeria has named Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director, marking the return of a Nigerian to the role since 2015. John Musunga, the former MD, has transitioned to become Diageo Africa’s Managing Director for Southern, West, and Central Africa.
Adebayo Alli, a mechanical engineer with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MSc in Advanced Process Engineering from Loughborough University, UK, joined Diageo in 2005. Over the years, he has held various roles, including Packaging Operations Support Manager and Operations Director at Guinness Nigeria. He worked on a business transformation project in Meta Abo Brewery Limited, Ethiopia, and held the position of Supply Chain Director.
Alli’s career trajectory continued with roles such as Director for IPS, Reserve & Modern Trade and Commercial Director at Guinness Nigeria. He is set to assume his new role as Managing Director on January 1, 2024.
Guinness Nigeria’s last Nigerian MD was Seni Adetu, who served from 2012 to 2015. Individuals from Ireland and Kenya held subsequent leadership. Diageo, the majority owner of Guinness Nigeria with a 58% stake, recently announced the discontinuation of its import deal with Guinness Nigeria. This move led to the creation of a new wholly-owned spirits-focused business to manage the importation and distribution of premium spirits brands in West and Central Africa.
