Management of Diageo Plc has appointed Gabriel Opoku-Asare as Head of Society (Sustainability and Responsibility) for the Africa Region, effective February 1, 2019.
In his new role, Mr Opoku-Asare will lead Diageo’s Sustainability and Responsibility Strategy across the beverage giants’13 priority markets, comprising four business units, which are Africa Emerging Markets, East Africa, Southern Africa and Nigeria.
A statement issued and signed by Nana Boakye Yiadom, the Head of Corporate Communication Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc, said Mr Opoku-Asare would also lead the agenda to shape the future of the business and be accountable for driving and leading programmes and campaigns, which focus on Water, Skills, Environment and Local Raw Materials (LRM).
It said additionally, he would be accountable for regional supra national engagement with opinion leaders at institutions such as AFFRO, Africa Union, UNITAR and UNDP.
Previously, Mr Opoku-Asare was the Corporate Relations Director at Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc (GGBPLC), a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, where as a Member of the Executive Management Team, he strategically positioned the company’s communications and sustainability agenda and the company was recognised among its peers as a leading, trusted and respected consumer brand company in Ghana.
Under his leadership, the GGGBPLC brand was recognised on various awards platforms including the CSR Company of the Year and CSR Manufacturing Company of the Year, among others at the Ghana CSR Excellence Awards and Best Practices in Sustainable Manufacturing at the AGI Ghana Industry Awards.
The statement said recently Mr Opoku-Asare was adjudged CSR Practitioner of the Year at the 2018 Ghana CSR Excellence Awards for his strategic leadership and relentless efforts to drive and execute the company’s sustainability agenda.
Before joining GGBPLC, he was the Head of Corporate Affairs at Unilever Ghana, a member of Unilever Ghana Leadership Team and a member of Unilever Africa Region Sustainable Business and Communications Leadership Team.
Mr Opoku-Asare holds a BSc in Land Economy from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a Graduate Certificate in Public Relations from Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Masters in International Relations from University of Leicester and Executive Education Certificate in Shared Value Strategy from Harvard Business School.
The statement quoted Mr Damon Ansell, the International Campaigns Director for Diageo Africa, as saying: “We are very pleased to have Gabriel join the Africa Team. We believe his knowledge and experience in Stakeholder engagement, Public Policy and Sustainable Development will be invaluable to Diageo Africa’s ambition as we continue to shape the future of the business in Diageo’s developing markets.”
The statement said Mr Gavin Pike, the Managing Director of GGBPLC, said Gabriel had been a key member of the Ghana Executive Team, who over the last few years, had contributed immensely to supporting the business’ commercial and sustainability agenda.
“We can only wish him well on the impressive career trajectory, as his appointment once again underscores Diageo’s growth plan for employees across its markets and also reinforces Diageo as a great place to work,” he added.
Source: GNA
