Kenya
Uganda
Tanzania
Board Directors
John Ulanga
Mr. John Ulanga is the Regional Director for East and Central Africa at TradeMark Africa. Trade and Markets East Africa (TradeMark East Africa – TMEA) is an East African not-for profit Company Limited by Guarantee established in 2010 to support the growth of trade in East Africa. TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) is focused on ensuring gains from trade result in prosperity for East Africans.
Before joining TradeMark East Africa, Mr. Ulanga was the Vice President, External Affairs and Sustainability for BG East Africa which is part of the BG Group – a world leader in exploration and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Mr. Ulanga was previously the Executive Director of the Foundation for Civil Society, the largest support mechanism for civil society organizations in Tanzania. Prior to joining the Foundation for Civil Society, Mr. Ulanga worked with the Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), one of the leading Policy Research Think Tanks in Tanzania. During his time at ESRF, Mr. Ulanga was involved in several policy and reform processes such as being part of the advisory team to the Government of Tanzania on Rural Development Policy and Strategy, Public Service Reform Programme and Parastatal Sector Reform Programme.
Besides being the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Serengeti Breweries Limited, Mr. Ulanga is also a Member of the Board of Directors of East African Breweries Plc, the Chairman of the University Council of the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University, Dar es Salaam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of KCB Bank Tanzania, Member of the Board of Directors of Mwananchi Communications Limited (publishers of The Citizen, Mwananchi and Mwanaspoti Newspapers); Member of the Africa Policy Advisory Board for ONE Campaign (www.one.org). Mr. Ulanga also sits in several other not-for-profit boards in Tanzania.
Mr. Ulanga is a Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative, East Africa and the Aspen Global Leadership Network of the Aspen Institute in Colorado, USA. He is also a 2012 Senior Fellow of the Centre on Philanthropy and Civil Society Studies at the Graduate Centre of the City University of New York, Senior Fellow of the Synergos, New York. Mr. Ulanga is an alumnae of the International Visitor Leadership Programme of the US Department of State, and of the British Council Africa InterAction Leadership Programme. Mr. Ulanga has also held various other leadership and managerial positions in several other places.
Mr. Ulanga holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Management Degree in Accounting from the University of Dar es Salaam, an Executive Master’s Degree in Development Policy and Practice from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland. He is also a Certified Public Accountant in Tanzania.
Jane Karuku
Mrs. Jane Karuku is the Group Managing Director and CEO of EABL having been appointed on 1st January 2021. Previously she was the Managing Director of Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) since July 2015. She is a dynamic business leader, with strong management experience spanning over 20 years in FMCG and Non-Governmental organisations. Prior to her appointment to KBL, she was the President of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). She has also previously held a number of senior positions in various companies including Deputy Chief Executive and Secretary General, Telkom Kenya and Managing Director, Cadbury East and Central Africa.
Prior to that Ms. Karuku worked with Farmers Choice Kenya and Kenya Cooperative Creameries. She has been a member of the board of Barclays Bank of Kenya and Junior Achievement-Kenya.
She is currently the Chairperson of the Kenya COVID-19 Fund, Chairperson of Kenya’s Vision 2030 Board, a Trustee at the United States International University (USIU), and a board member at the Kenya Association of Manufacturers. Ms. Karuku holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Food Science and Technology from the University of Nairobi and an MBA in Marketing from the National University of California.
Dr Obinna Anyalebechi
Dr Obinna Anyalebechi is the Managing Director of Serengeti Breweries Limited(SBL) from 1st March 2023.
Prior to his appointment, Dr. Obinna was the Field Sales and Operations at Diageo Great Britain for a year and half where he successfully elevated the levels of customer service, process innovation and data driven execution rigor.
He has over 16 years cognate experience in Marketing and Commercial functions garnered whilst working across different multinationals, brands and categories. He joined Diageo in 2012 and has held several roles including Customer Marketing Director, Nigeria and Commercial Director, Ghana.
Prior to joining Diageo, he held marketing roles at Promasidor Nigeria Limited and Unilever Nigeria PLC.
Obinna holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Nigeria. He is an alumnus of the Darden School of Business, Cranfield School of Management and the I.E. Business School. He has also attended management courses at Harvard Business School, Yale School of Management and IMD.
Christopher Gachuma
Christopher M Gachuma (CMG) has a rare distinction of having achieved recognition in the Country, of Tanzania, in many spheres of life, after having hailed from a modest background. He is well known for his achievements in Business, Social Welfare & Public relationships. He has held and continues to hold chairmanship position in many Government & Private Boards in Tanzania. He has contributed immensely to economic, social & political progress in the Lake Zone of Tanzania. CMG’s strength is understanding what works & what doesn’t. He shifted his base out of his native Bukenya, Tarime to establish Nyanza Bottling Co. Ltd (Coca-Cola) in Mwanza and for a couple of decades, he’s been an integral part of the company’s organizational growth in both Planning & Execution.
To both SBL and NBCL, CMG has taken interest in grooming many senior employees under his leadership. Aged 65 and still committed to work, he is now establishing CMG public welfare Trust to contribute more in community services.
Lucia Minde
Lucia is a business leader passionately committed to adding value to society and to inspire those she encounters to become better versions of themselves. She currently serves as the Legal, Business Integrity Director and Company secretary at SBL, a position she has held since July 2018.
In her current role, she leads a team that is responsible for managing legal risk, corporate security, document management, corporate governance and ensuring that the business has an adequate control framework. She has been instrumental in embedding best practice that has resulted in increased efficiency, mitigation of risk and a reduction in litigation exposure.
At SBL, she also chairs the Spirited Women Network, an employee resource organization whose objective is to promote and foster leadership and the development of female employees.
Lucia is an Advocate of the High Court of Tanzania and a member of the Institute of Directors in Tanzania. She has been recognised as one of the Top 50 Women in Management in Tanzania by WIMA.
She is an avid reader and keen runner. She is the Athens Marathon finisher and has successfully summited Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Anne Joy Michira
Anne Joy Michira was appointed to the Board in May 2022
Prior to her current acting role, Anne Joy was the Head of Marketing – Beer for EABL where she led a team of award-winning marketers to building and growing some of East Africa’s biggest brands, revitalizing Tusker and Bell, awakening WhiteCap and strengthening Guinness across East Africa. Prior to this, she led the Spirits portfolio in Kenya transforming the business.
Anne Joy has built an extensive commercial career spanning over 16 years, working in both trade & brand marketing roles. Over the period, she has worked diligently to build empowered and engaged teams that deliver sustainable, vibrant P&Ls. She is a big business leader, passionate about propelling young Africans to action enabling them recognize and leverage their purpose to deliver transformation. Anne Joy’s desire is to infect them with enthusiasm for continuous excellence, drive innovative thinking and work with them to inculcate a culture of respect, integrity and responsibility. Her appointment is testament to the Marketing talent in East Africa and EABL’s Inclusion & Diversity agenda.
Board Directors