Jobs/Appointments
Coca-Cola Reshuffles International Markets Leadership
By Adedapo Adesanya
Coca-Cola has announced that Ms Luisa Ortega would become president of the company’s Africa operating unit, overseeing markets across the continent.
She currently serves as president of the company’s central zone in Latin America, which includes Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Central America and the Caribbean.
She replaces Mr Bruno Pietracci, who has been named president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit. Both changes take effect February 1, 2023, meaning Ms Ortega will relocate to Johannesburg in 2023.
Both Ms Ortega and Mr Pietracci will report to Mr Henrique Braun, who will become President of International Development for Coca-Cola on January 1, 2023. Mr Braun has served as president of Coca-Cola’s Latin America operating unit since 2020.
“I’m happy to see Luisa take her knowledge and global expertise to lead our operations in Africa,” Mr Braun said. “I’m also pleased to welcome Bruno back to his native Latin America, where he has extensive experience across a number of markets.”
Ms Ortega, a native of Spain, joined Coca-Cola in 2019 as vice president and general manager of the South Latin business unit. She was later named deputy president and then president of South Latin.
In 2021, she became president of the newly created central zone of the Latin America operating unit. She also serves as chair of the company’s Global Women’s Leadership Council.
Prior to Coca-Cola, she worked at SC Johnson for more than 14 years in various roles in Europe, the United States and the Asia Pacific region. She also worked at Endesa, a utility corporation that serves mainly Spain and Portugal.
Ms Ortega has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidad Pontificia Comillas and an MBA from the IESE Business School, both in Spain, along with participating in the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
On his part, Mr Pietracci joined Coca-Cola in Brazil in 2008 as vice president of strategic planning and research. In 2010, he moved into operations to lead the Southern Brazil region. He was later named general manager of the Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador markets.
In 2016, Mr Pietracci became vice president of operations for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He later became president of the company’s South and East Africa business unit, followed by serving as president of Africa and Middle East business unit. Mr Pietracci was named to his current role as president of the Africa operating unit in 2021. He was appointed in 2022 to the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Doing Business in Africa (PAC-DBIA).
Prior to Coca-Cola, Mr Pietracci was with McKinsey & Co. in Brazil and Lisbon. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Universidade Estadual de Campinas in Brazil and an MBA from INSEAD in France.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Nigerian Breweries Plc has announced the appointment of Mr Thibaut Boidin as its new chief executive, replacing Mr Hans Essaadi, who resigns from the position from June 30, 2025.
The brewer confirmed this development in a statement submitted to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited on Thursday.
It was disclosed that Mr Essaadi is leaving the seat to take up another role in Poland as the head of Heineken in the European nation.
He drafted to head Nigerian Breweries on July 31, 2021, and his tenure has been marked by significant milestones, including delivering a net revenue of over N1 trillion amidst one of the most challenging economic landscapes in Nigeria in recent history.
His clarity and resilience steered the company through foreign exchange constraints, high inflation, and liquidity pressures, while keeping the organisation fundamentals firmly on track.
He oversaw the firm’s recent business recovery plan which included the raising of N550 billion via a rights issue, the biggest equity raising effort in the Nigerian capital market, and has helped to put the company back on the path of profitability.
His successor will be expected to build on these legacies, particularly because of his experience in the field.
He is currently the Managing Director of Heineken Romania, one of Heineken’s largest operations in Eastern Europe.
He joined the organisation in 2017 as Deputy CEO of France Boissons and added to his scope in 2020 the role of Heineken France Chief Transformation Officer. He was also the Chief
Transformation Officer of Heineken Europe based in Amsterdam before his current role in Romania.
Prior to joining Heineken, Mr Boidin had served as an Officer in the French Armed Forces across different continents before transitioning to the corporate world where he held senior/executive and Managing Director positions in French organisations, including Elis and Veolia.
By Dipo Olowookere
Ms Idu Okwuosa-Okeahialam has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Royal Exchange Plc after successfully undergoing the necessary process prior to her appointment.
Her appointment was approved by the board of the company, a statement from the organisation to the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited disclosed.
It was stated that Ms Okwuosa-Okeahialam will assume the new position from Wednesday, May 21, 2025. She is expected to support the company’s continued growth and success.
Royal Exchange expressed confidence that the new leader of the management team is armed with the requisite skills and experience to make a meaningful contribution to the board.
She is expected to provide strategic leadership while exploring new opportunities for the business.
Ms Okwuosa-Okeahialam is a finance professional with over 15 years’ core experience spanning across various industries including oil & gas; banking; and financial services.
She is experienced in funds management, compliance and risk administration, sales, client relationship management and customer experience.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Mr Abdallah Simba has been chosen to lead the operations of Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Nigeria effective Thursday, May 1, 2025, succeeding Mr Thomas Adams, who has led the Nigerian business successfully over the past four years.
The new General Manager of the organisation in Nigeria recently served as the Country Manager for Slovakia, where he successfully led profitable multicategory growth and operational strengthening, positioning the business for long-term sustainability.
A statement from the tobacco firm said Mr Simba’s appointment underscores its commitment and ambition to deepen its footprint in the Nigerian market.
“I am delighted to lead JTI Nigeria at this time. Nigeria is an important market with tremendous potential, and I look forward to working with the amazing team here to continue to grow our business in a sustainable manner,” Mr Simba said of his new role.
Mr Simba brings nearly two decades of commercial and strategic leadership experience to the role, having held key positions across multiple markets and at JTI’s global headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
He joined JTI in Tanzania in 2005 in Marketing before taking on an international assignment in Ireland in 2009. He later transitioned into broader commercial roles, leading various Sales and Trade Marketing capabilities with increasing responsibility.
In 2013, Mr Simba moved to JTI’s global headquarters in Geneva, where he progressed into senior roles within the Global Commercial Strategy function.
In these roles, he led the optimization of business models, guided market strategies, and up-skilled commercial teams across a wide range of markets.
The new General Manager for Nigeria holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern New Hampshire University in International Business.
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