Nigeria: Guinness Nigeria appoints Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director

Guinness Nigeria has appointed Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director, marking a significant development as he becomes the company’s first Nigerian MD since 2015.

Following John Musunga’s transition to the role of Diageo Africa’s Managing Director for Southern, West, and Central Africa, Guinness Nigeria has announced the appointment of Mr. Adebayo Alli as its new Managing Director.

According to the corporate filing on NGX’s website signed by the Company Secretary, Abidemi Ademola, Adebayo Alli would resume his new role within the company on January 1, 2024. 

Adebayo Alli, a mechanical engineer by training, holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ibadan and an MSc in Advanced Process Engineering from Loughborough University, UK.  

Adebayo Alli started his journey with Diageo, the parent company of Guinness Nigeria, in 2005, initially serving as a Packaging Operations Support Manager. Over the years, he has played pivotal roles, including leading a business transformation project at Meta Abo Brewery Limited in Ethiopia, another of Diageo Africa’s entities. His career progression within the organization saw him assume the positions of Plant Manager at Meta Abo Brewery in 2014 and subsequently, Supply Chain Director in 2015.

Upon returning to Nigeria in 2017, Mr. Adebayo Alli took on the role of Operations Director at Guinness Nigeria. Subsequently, he redirected his career path toward general management, exploring various senior commercial sales positions within Guinness Nigeria PLC.

Guinness Nigeria’s most recent Nigerian Managing Director, Seni Adetu,  served from 2012 to 2015. Subsequently, the leadership of the company saw a series of international appointments, including John O’Keefe from Ireland, Peter Ndegwa and Baker Magunda from Kenya, and John Musunga, also from Kenya. The recent appointment of Mr. Adebayo Alli as Managing Director marks the return of a Nigerian leader to this role after a gap since Seni Adetu’s tenure.

Guinness Nigeria Plc is predominantly owned by Diageo Plc, holding a significant 58% stake. Historically, Diageo’s presence in Nigeria was primarily through its association with Guinness Nigeria. In the past, the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria also held the concurrent role of overseeing the Diageo brand in the country, highlighting the integral link between the two entities.

Following Diageo’s decision to terminate its import deal with Guinness Nigeria, signifying an end to the importation of Johnnie Walker and Baileys by Guinness Nigeria, Diageo revealed plans to establish a “wholly owned spirits-focused business.” This new entity would take charge of the importation and distribution of premium spirits brands in West and Central Africa. The assumption is that John Musunga is likely to lead this newly formed business, given his background and experience in the industry.