Seni Adetu's Transition from Guinness

Down-to-earth and dynamic Seni Adetu is a former Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the beverage giant, Guinness Nigeria Plc who had an illustrious career in sales and marketing that culminated in his appointment as CEO in four different countries in Africa.

Seni started his working life with the multinational firm, John Holt Plc, as Brand

Manager in 1986 and after a highly successful stint, joined CMB Packaging Plc as Product Group Manager in October 1990. Brimming with ideas, he left CMB Packaging in 1992 to join Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited as Field Marketing Manager (Operations).

At Coca-Cola Nigeria, Seni’s managerial and marketing know-how became apparent and he enjoyed a meteoric rise to become the Marketing Director in 1998, first Nigerian ever to attain the rank. He was later seconded to Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC) Plc as the Commercial Director where he scored another feat by being the first African to become National Commercial Director of NBC.

Seni led the team to double the company’s operating profit in three years and engineered the acquisition of Limca Bottling Company. He also built an amazing relationship with the bottler that resulted in breakthrough performances across key metrics – Volume, Profit and Market Share.

After joining Diageo from Coca-Cola, Seni was seconded to Guinness Ghana Breweries Limited as MD/CEO where he drove a huge change agenda that included integration of newly acquired Heineken business into Diageo and caused the doubling of the business. In July 2009, he was appointed as GMD/CEO of East African Breweries Limited, a subsidiary of Diageo.

At EABL, Seni consistently delivered superior total shareholders returns, beat competition, led EABL to become the most capitalised company on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, completed a complex acquisition of a new company in Tanzania (Serengeti Breweries Limited), renovated the Tusker brand for the first time in 40 years to great performance effect, turned around the performance of the Ugandan business. It is no wonder that in 2012, Seni was announced one of three CEOs for Forbes Business Leaders of the Year in East Africa!

Upon joining Guinness Nigeria as MD/CEO, Seni led a resilient business as a result of the partial removal of fuel subsidy by the government. The sharp increase in fuel price resulted in a change in the consumption pattern of alcoholic drinks from premium brands to lower mass market brands. He however led the business creditably, ensuring progress in key areas and improved cost efficiencies in operations that resulted in incremental sales pan-Nigeria. 

Under Seni's watch, Guinness expanded margin and gained considerable market share by successfully introducing innovation brands such as Snapp and Orijin. He left Guinness in December 2014. 

So sterling were Seni’s corporate achievements that the paramount ruler of Remo Kingdom, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, honoured him with a chieftaincy title. He was installed as the 1st Otunba Dadaffini of Remo Land, while his wife, Janet, was also installed as the Yeye Otunba dadaffini of Remo land some months back.

The question on the lips of friends, admirers and well-wishers of Seni Adetu is – what’s next for one of Nigeria’s foremost technocrats? Will it be a foray into the murky water of politics, another multinational appointment and/or entrepreneurship?

We think it is entrepreneurship!


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