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LINA GITHUKA
MD, KENYA WINE AGENCIES
Meet Lina Githuka, the embodiment of resilience, brilliance, and bravery. As Managing Director (MD) of Kenya Wine Agencies (KWAL), her current focus is the stabilisation of business’ operations. This comes in the wake of the company’s relocation to a KES 5 billion production plant at Tatu City: a shift poised to enable KWAL to expand its production capacity. The project marks KWAL’s first big investment in the past three decades – a bold move, given the tough economic environment.
Aligned with the KWAL vision, the relocation aims to enhance the company’s competitiveness by localising production. This vision, under the leadership of Ms Githuka and her team, is actively on course. Of note, the facility incorporates environmentally conscious elemental designs, including a green factory with advanced water recycling and reuse systems, as well as solar power integration, all contributing to KWAL’s commitment to its sustainability agenda.
Ms Githuka is a seasoned business leader, with over 25 years of honed expertise in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. She started her career as a Management Trainee at Unilever Kenya, where her passion for brand building and consumer value creation was ignited.
A decade later, she soared to success at the esteemed British American Tobacco (BAT) Global Head office in London as a Senior International Brand Manager, handling prestigious global brands. Closer home, she enhanced her business acumen and people leadership at BAT South Africa as a Consumer Director, before moving to BAT Uganda as Commercial Lead for Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.
After an enriching six years outside the country, Lina returned home and took on several commercial roles within BAT. Her last position was Head of Marketing East and Central Africa covering 17 markets, and part of the Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East (EEAME) marketing leadership team. She became the first local female to assume this role, positioning her as a trailblazer in the corporate world.
Following a fulfilling 16-year journey with BAT, Ms Githuka made a significant move to KWAL in 2016, starting as a Commercial Consultant and eventually taking up the position of Commercial Director. During this critical phase of company transformation after privatisation, Lina and her team re-engineered business processes, innovated the brand portfolio, revamped the route to market whilst focusing on capacity development of the wider commercial team. Their collaborative efforts led to a renewed approach that significantly boosted the company’s revenue growth.
In 2018, Ms Githuka reached another milestone when she was appointed as the first female MD in KWAL’s history. Her resilience and knack for excellence has seen her steer the business through significant transitions. Notably, she navigated the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the relocation of the business to Tatu City, and the ongoing integration with Heineken Beverages. Heineken Beverages acquired a substantial stake in KWAL subsequent to its acquisition of Distell, a major shareholder.
Reflecting on her professional trajectory to the top, Lina acknowledges the inner journey of self-growth. Throughout her leadership development, she has continuously learned, unlearned, and relearned valuable lessons. This has enabled her to act with greater empathy, being comfortable with discomfort, as she navigates the business in this volatile environment. Simultaneously, she aligns her team with the broader goals of the organisation. Lina summarises this well with a philosophy she firmly believes in and embraces, “Leadership is a privilege and responsibility.”
Ms Githuka is an independent board director at National Bank of Kenya (NBK) and Population Services of Kenya (PSK).
Exemplifying her emotional intelligence, she enjoys engaging in mentorship, guiding numerous professionals aspiring to thrive and progress in their careers. Within KWAL, Lina pioneered the Women Chat Lounge Program, a purposeful initiative aimed at nurturing the inspiration, empowerment, and confidence of female employees at the company. Additionally, she actively contributes to mentoring programs aimed at uplifting and empowering young girls. This involvement spans her alma mater, Precious Blood, and extends to groups such as the Greenhorn Mentorship Programme (GMP) and the Global Give Back Circle (GGBC). Ms Githuka encourages her mentees to stay authentic, put in the time and effort, and not be afraid of being gutsy in order to seize every opportunity.
KWAL was established in 1969 as a beverage production and distribution company. It would, within a short time, emerge as a critical cog in Kenya’s industrialisation engine: creating jobs, supporting new industries and value additions, and fostering national pride.
Home to some of Kenya’s household brands such as Kibao Vodka, Hunters and Savanna Ciders, Viceroy Brandy, Hunter’s Choice Whisky, Amarula, Nederburg and Durbanville wines, KWAL has increased its focus on expanding production capacity and localising production of imported brands with the relocation to Tatu City. This strategic move represents just the beginning of Lina’s second executive star tenure, underscoring her visionary leadership and commitment to driving the growth and success of KWAL.
