Nigerian Breweries Plc on Wednesday announced the appointment of Mr. Ayodele Lawal as its new Sales Director. His appointment takes effect from 1st May 2023, and he will be responsible for overseeing the company’s sales strategy and execution across Nigeria.
Lawal replaces Mr. Uche Unigwe, who is retiring from the company upon attaining the mandatory age.
Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Hans Essaadi paid tribute to Unigwe, saying: “During his long and illustrious career, Uche has been an instrumental part of the growth and success of Nigerian Breweries. He has been a dedicated and inspiring leader, with a wealth of knowledge and experience that has helped to shape our company’s future.
“Under his leadership, the sales team has achieved remarkable milestones and played a crucial role in launching new products, expanding our market share, and driving the growth of our business. We will truly miss his passion, energy, and unwavering commitment to excellence. As he embarks on a new phase of his life, the Company is grateful to Uche Unigwe for his contributions to our growth and we wish him the best in his future endeavours following his well-deserved retirement”.
The incoming Sales Director brings with him over 30 years of experience in brewing and sales functions. Lawal has held several senior sales roles in the company and the parent company – Heineken.
He started his career with the company in 1991 as a brewer and thereafter made a cross-functional move to sales as a Field Sales Manager, rising through the ranks to the position of Regional Business Manager in Central, West, Lagos, and Port Harcourt regions.
In 2017, Lawal was seconded to Heineken Vietnam and later in the same year, he was appointed National Sales Manager Brana (Heineken OpCo in Haiti) before becoming, in 2018, the Sales Director for Haiti. He returned to Nigeria in 2021 to take up the role of Zonal Business Manager (North), and thereafter, the Zonal Business Manager, West.
Essaadi congratulated Lawal on his new appointment, saying: “We are thrilled to have Ayodele take on the role of Sales Director. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the position, having held senior roles in sales both at Nigerian Breweries and Heineken. His leadership and business acumen will undoubtedly drive further growth and innovation for our company”.
A member of the Heineken Group, Nigerian Breweries Plc is Nigeria’s pioneer and largest brewing company. Incorporated in 1946 as “Nigerian Brewery Limited”, the company made history in June 1949 when the first bottle of Star lager beer rolled out of its Lagos brewery bottling line.
