By Adedapo Adesanya

Axxela Limited has appointed Mr Moshood Olajide as its new chief executive, following the retirement of Mr Timothy Ononiwu.

According to the company, Mr Ononiwu retired after attaining the official retirement age, following nearly a decade in top leadership roles, including his time as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and later GCEO.

Under his leadership as CFO and then later as GCEO, Mr Ononiwu played a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s financial stability, overseeing expansion plans, and fostering strong partnerships across the energy value chain.

Speaking on Mr Ononiwu’s retirement, the Chairman of the board of Axxela, Mr Nzan Ogbe, expressed deep appreciation for his leadership and contributions to the organisation.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Timothy Ononiwu for his commitment and significant contribution to Axxela as Group Chief Executive Officer and, before that, as Chief Financial Officer.

“Axxela has benefitted immensely from his dedication and strategic leadership over the years. His efforts have positioned the company for financial strength and long-term success, and we are grateful for the strong foundation he leaves behind.

“Following Timothy Ononiwu’s retirement, Moshood Olajide will assume the role of GCEO, where he will bring his visionary leadership to guide the company through its next phase of growth. His vast industry experience and deep understanding of the company’s post-divestment strategy position him well to lead the organisation to its next frontier,” he stated.

Reflecting on his retirement, Mr Ononiwu said: “As I begin this new chapter, I do so with immense pride in what we have built together. Leading Axxela has been one of the greatest honours of my professional life. I am deeply grateful to our employees, partners, and stakeholders whose dedication, innovation, and resilience have shaped our success. I remain confident that the strong foundation we have built will continue to drive growth and excellence for many years to come. I look forward to watching the next chapter unfold and wish the entire team continued success.”

The newly appointed GCEO is bringing extensive leadership experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors, with a strong track record in operational excellence, business growth, and strategic transformation, leveraging a legal, accounting, and corporate governance background.

In his new role, Mr Olajide will lead Axxela through its next phase of expansion, focusing on advancing natural gas advocacy, expanding integrated energy offerings, deepening regional market footprint, and accelerating the delivery of cleaner and more reliable energy solutions.

The company also announced the appointment of Ms Yetunde Demuren as Chief Financial Officer, an elevation from her previous role as Head of Corporate Finance and Treasury Management.

She is a seasoned finance executive with nearly two decades of experience in financial strategy, project viability assessment, cash flow planning, and capital management.

Her appointment is expected to further strengthen the company’s financial performance as the company continues to pursue ambitious growth plans and expand its infrastructure investments.

By Aduragbemi Omiyale

Mrs Nkechi Runsewe has been appointed as the new Human Resources Director of Nigerian Breweries Plc.

A statement on Friday disclosed that the appointment is effective Saturday, August 1, 2026.

She replaces Ms Grace Omo-Lamai, who will retire from the company on July 28, 2026, after nearly a decade of distinguished service and impactful leadership.

The appointee will play a central role in translating Nigerian Breweries’ EverGreen 2030 strategy into execution by shaping the organisation’s design, leadership behaviours, workforce capabilities and performance systems to deliver sustained volume growth, cost discipline, and repeatable performance.

She joined the organisation from its parent company HEINEKEN, bringing strong global experience in talent management and organisational development.

As Global Head of Talent Management at HEINEKEN, she strengthened leadership pipelines across the business, significantly improving succession readiness and advancing performance and development frameworks across HEINEKEN operating companies.

Since joining HEINEKEN in September 2021, Mrs Runsewe has built trusted partnerships across and beyond the People Function and strengthened global Communities of Practice and is recognised for her collaborative, pragmatic approach to continuous improvement, establishing a strong foundation for her team and successor. Prior to her current role, she served as Regional Talent Lead for the Africa, Middle East, and Eastern Europe (AMEE) Region.

“We are delighted to welcome Nkechi Runsewe to the Nigerian Breweries Management Team at a pivotal moment for our business,” the Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Mr Thibaut Boidin, said.

“Nkechi brings deep expertise in talent management and a strong track record of driving high-performance cultures across geographies. Her leadership will be critical as we continue to build a future-ready organisation, strengthen our people capabilities and deliver our EverGreen 2030 ambitions,” he added.

Commenting on her appointment, Mrs Runsewe said, “I am honoured to join Nigerian Breweries at such an important moment in its journey. The company’s strong legacy, combined with its forward-looking EverGreen 2030 strategy, presents a unique opportunity to build an even stronger, high-performing organisation. I look forward to working closely with our teams to strengthen our leadership capabilities, deepen our talent pipeline, and foster a culture where our people can thrive and deliver sustainable growth for the business.”

When a Fortune 500 company onboards 500 new employees in a single quarter, managing their contact information becomes a logistical challenge that can make or break internal communication. Traditional methods of distributing business cards and maintaining contact databases often fall short, leading to outdated information, wasted resources, and frustrated employees trying to connect with colleagues across departments.

The digital transformation of contact management has revolutionized how large organizations handle this critical aspect of business operations. From cloud-based directories to mobile-first solutions, companies are discovering new ways to ensure their teams stay connected efficiently.

The Scale Challenge: Why Traditional Methods Fail

Large corporations face unique challenges when managing employee contact information. A company with 10,000 employees might experience a 15-20% annual turnover rate, meaning they’re updating information for 1,500-2,000 positions yearly. Add in role changes, department transfers, and office relocations, and the volume of updates becomes staggering.

Traditional paper business cards present several problems at scale:

•       Average cost of $200-400 per employee annually for printing and reprinting
•       3-4 week lead times for new cards when information changes
•       Environmental waste from outdated cards
•       No way to track distribution or usage
•       Impossible to update recipient’s saved contacts retroactively

Email signature management also becomes complex when multiplied across thousands of employees, with inconsistent formatting and outdated information creating a fragmented brand experience.

Modern Solutions: Digital-First Approaches

Leading organizations have shifted to digital contact management systems that offer real-time updates and centralized control. These platforms typically include:

Cloud-Based Employee Directories

Enterprise directory solutions integrate with existing HR systems to maintain accurate, searchable databases of employee information. These platforms often sync with Active Directory or LDAP systems, ensuring changes propagate automatically across the organization.

Digital Business Card Platforms

Modern digital business card solutions for teams allow companies to deploy hundreds of cards in minutes through bulk import features. Unlike traditional cards, digital versions update instantly across all shared contacts, eliminating the cascade of outdated information that plagues physical cards.

Mobile Contact Management Apps

Companies are increasingly adopting mobile-first solutions that allow employees to share and update contact information directly from their smartphones. The best platforms work without requiring recipients to download apps, reducing friction in the sharing process.

Security and Compliance Considerations

Enterprise contact management isn’t just about convenience—it’s about protecting sensitive employee data. Large companies must consider:

•       Data sovereignty requirements for multinational operations
•       GDPR compliance for European employee data
•       SOC 2 certification for vendor platforms
•       Role-based access controls to limit information exposure
•       Audit trails for tracking access and changes

Security-conscious organizations look for platforms with enterprise-grade certifications and clear data handling policies. The ability to control what information different employee groups can access becomes crucial for maintaining privacy while enabling collaboration.

Integration with Existing Systems

The most successful contact management implementations integrate seamlessly with existing enterprise tools. Key integration points include:

HR Information Systems (HRIS)

Automatic synchronization with platforms like Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or BambooHR ensures contact information stays current without manual intervention. When an employee’s role changes in the HRIS, their contact details update everywhere automatically.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Sales teams benefit from integration between contact management and CRM systems. When customer-facing employees update their information, it flows directly to Salesforce, HubSpot, or Microsoft Dynamics, maintaining consistency across customer touchpoints.

Communication Platforms

Integration with Microsoft Teams, Slack, and email clients ensures employees can access colleague information within their daily workflow. Some platforms even enable direct contact sharing within these communication tools.

Measuring Success and ROI

Forward-thinking companies track specific metrics to evaluate their contact management effectiveness:

•       Time to productivity for new hires accessing colleague information
•       Reduction in IT tickets related to contact updates
•       Cost savings from eliminated printing and distribution
•       Employee satisfaction scores regarding internal communication
•       Compliance incidents related to outdated contact information

Companies using comprehensive digital contact solutions report average time savings of 5-10 hours per employee annually just from reduced contact management friction. For a 5,000-person organization, that translates to 25,000-50,000 hours of recovered productivity.

Best Practices for Implementation

Successfully transitioning to modern contact management requires thoughtful planning and execution. Organizations should consider these proven strategies:

Phased Rollout Approach

Rather than attempting company-wide implementation immediately, successful organizations often start with pilot programs in specific departments. Sales teams, with their high external contact needs, often serve as ideal early adopters who can demonstrate value to other departments.

Change Management and Training

Employee adoption improves dramatically with proper training and communication. Companies should emphasize the personal benefits—like never having outdated colleague contacts—alongside organizational advantages.

Clear Governance Policies

Establishing policies around information updates, access levels, and usage guidelines prevents confusion and ensures consistent implementation across departments.

The shift to digital contact management represents more than a technology upgrade—it’s a fundamental improvement in how large organizations enable employee connections. As remote and hybrid work models become permanent fixtures of the corporate landscape, efficient contact management will only grow in importance. Companies that invest in modern solutions today position themselves for more agile, connected operations tomorrow.