East African Breweries PLC’s Marketing and Innovations Director Anne Joy Michira has been appointed to the role of Marketing and Innovations Director for South, West, and Central Africa (SWC) at Diageo. Ms Michira will take up her new, London-based role from April 1, and will report to Mr John Musunga, a Kenyan, who was appointed to head the newly established SWC business unit in November 2023.
The business unit comprises two regions covering Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean and West and Central Africa, including the businesses in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa, Seychelles, among others. Ms Michira has nearly 20 years’ experience in a wide range of roles in trade and marketing in the fast-moving consumer goods sector.
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She joined EABL from British American Tobacco (BAT) in September 2015 as the Marketing Manager for Mainstream Spirits. She then rose up the ranks to Head of Spirits and then Head of Marketing, Beer for East Africa before being promoted to her current role in May 2022. A University of Nairobi Bachelor of Commerce (Finance) degree holder, she is also a Business Daily 2019 Top 40 under 40 achiever.
“Anne Joy has a strong track record of delivering tangible value to business,” Mr Musunga says. “She developed and executed Kenya’s spirits portfolio strategy that has grown value share, with Kenya recording the fastest growth of Johnnie Walker globally in the last financial year.”
As the Beer Marketing lead, she rejuvenated Tusker and Pilsner, some of EABL’s biggest beer brands and grew beer value share across East Africa. Her work in marketing Senator bagged EABL its first ever Cannes Lion award. She brings to SWC Africa a deep understanding of African consumers and African markets.
In her current role, Ms Anne Joy Michira has led the development of an exciting range of ciders that are the foundation of vibrant flavoured offers that have given the company an exciting new dimension.
Kenya Breweries Limited Managing Director Mark Ocitti said Ms Michira has been instrumental in growing and building some of the company’s biggest brands in East Africa. Her work leading collaboration and partnership across East Africa has been phenomenal and it is hope she can replicate the same spirit to her new role.
“EABL is a net exporter of talent within Diageo and indeed in the corporate world,” Mr Ocitti says. “We are happy that once more, one of us has been tapped to take on a bigger role. She stands on the shoulders of giants who have gone to build great careers, drive growth and make Kenya proud of her sons and daughters.”
