Johnson: Guinness Will Leverage Growth Opportunities for EnhancedPerformance

Dr. Omobola Johnson, who was Nigeria’s pioneer Minister of Communication Technology in 2011, joined Board of Guinness Nigeria in 2016 as an independent Non-Executive Director. She became the Board Chair on July 1, 2021. In this interview with Goddy Egene, Johnson
spoke on her vision and how Guinness Nigeria will operate and deliver
value for all stakeholders in the challenging business environment:
Excerpts:

Congratulations on your appointment as Board Chair, and the first female Board Chair at that. What was the path/deliberate steps you took to get to where you are today?

Thank you very much. Prior to joining the Board of Guinness Nigeria I had a successful and rewarding professional career in Accenture, global management consulting and technology firm. I would say this is where,for twenty-five years, I developed a lot of the skills, experience and competencies that have got me where I am today. Working with world class professionals and working for some of the most prestigious companies in various industries within and outside Nigeria, to solve real world challenges and make them more competitive. Leaving Accenture, after five years as the Country Managing Director, I was very fortunate to be asked to serve as a Federal Minister, further honing my private sector consulting and management skills with policy making and public sector and dare I say political experience. These experiences have prepared me well for the role that I am taking up now. I strongly believe I am ripe for the task and will put in my best to ensure we continue to leverage growth opportunities in the industry and Nigeria as whole.

What initiatives do you plan to get the Board to implement during your first year as Board Chair of Guinness Nigeria?

Continuity is extremely critical for us in Guinness Nigeria, and so even though the board leadership has changed, our business priorities remain the same. So, my role as the new Board Chair is to ensure that all the plans that we have in motion are execute din a way and manner that upholds our continued commitment to good corporate governance, ethical standards and the highest standards of integrity in all business transactions. We will adhere strictly to our productivity strategies to enhance performance and deliver value for all stakeholders, while ensuring that we observe all government laws and regulatory policies.

 Diversity and inclusion remain at the heart of our business and so we will continue to champion the strengthening of the skills and intellectual assets of our entire workforce. We will not relent inour drive towards sterling innovation in product development as we continue toput the needs of our consumers first; and we will continue to ensure our efforts are creating shared value in the communities where we live and work following our 3-pillar approach of; Leadership in Alcohol in Society, Building Thriving Communities and Reducing our Environmental Impact. All these are of strategic importance to the continued seamless operations of our company not just in my first year but also into the future of our company.

What are your plans in the leadership of the Board to ensure that Shareholders of Guinness Nigeria are kept happy?

We will continue to work hard to ensure that our shareholders aspirations for Guinness Nigeria are met. Shareholders are happy when they hear about the great impact their company is making in their communities;they are happy when they see the company making adequate profit after tax and receive dividends every year. Shareholders want to see the company show significant asset/capital expansion, cost efficiency as well as expansive market penetration and growth. The Board will keep all of these things and more front and center whilst also ensuring that there is constant communication and engagement with our shareholders to ensure that we are on the right track.

The COVID-19pandemic has redefined business operations globally and brought about a new-normal. What are your plans for growth as things gradually ease back to normal?

Suffice it to say that the COVID-19 pandemic did not just come with challenges, it also showed us that we can do things better and more efficiently leveraging information,communication and other modern technologies. We are adapting well to this new way of working and I strongly believe that we will emerge from this pandemic a more efficient and effective organisation on a smooth path to recovery and market growth.

What do you think may be the biggest challenge(s) Guinness Nigeria must prepare to deal with in the future and what would be your plans to mitigate them?

There are many challenges that Guinness must deal with and this is part and parcel of runninga successful company. There are severalmacro-economic headwinds that have affected all companies operating in Nigeria,albeit to varying degrees. These include high inflation, currency depreciation,recession and internal security challenges.

These are significant pressures onany business, more so, a fast-moving consumer goods business like ours.However, as a forward-looking organisation that has operated successfully in Nigeria for many years, we are always thinking ahead – ensuring that ourlong-term planning takes full cognizance of the effects of these challenges and our operational strategies mitigate the impact of these challenges on our business.

What is your message to Shareholders, Staff and Consumers of Guinness Nigeria as you step into this position?

I urge all our shareholders to continue to give us the support that we have enjoyed to date and to keep believing in the leadership of their company to deliver healthy and sustainable returns. To staff, I say a big thank you for all the hardwork that they have done through a most challenging time. Every single member of our workforce is important and I urge them to continue to put their best foot forward as we continue to build and grow this great company, with the assurance that everything is being done to ensure their health, safety and welfare.

To our distributors/retailers, I say thank you for your partnership; we appreciate your trust in us. We will continue to provide our partners with the excellent service that they deserve, and we hope that our business relationships continue to be productive and progressive. To our esteemed consumers, I re-iterate that we are committed to manufacturing quality beverages that meet their tastes and cater to their lifestyles and we value the constant feedback that they give us.