Thibaut Boidin to Replace Hans Essaadi as Nigerian Breweries CEO

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.