NIGERIA – Suntory Beverage and Food Nigeria Limited (SBFN), the Nigerian unit of Japanese food and beverage company, Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd, has appointed Anjan Patole as the company’s new Managing Director.   

Anjan will join the company from Sameer Agriculture & Livestock Ltd., Nairobi, Kenya, where he was serving as the Chief Executive Officer since 2014, overseeing seven East African countries.

Anjan has over 30 years working experience in business administration, operations marketing and distribution management in Telecoms and also FMCG industries.

He has held top executive positions in different organisation including the Chief Operating Officer in Tata Teleservices, UP, Mumbai, and Director, Business Operations) for PepsiCo, India, responsible for Pepsi, 7Up, Mirinda, Slice, Tropicana and Aquafina.   

Patole has expressed his commitment in driving the company forward towards achieving its goals and repositioning its brands as the leading products in the Nigerian food and beverage market.

“My joining Suntory Beverage & Food Nigeria is a great opportunity to build on the impressive foundation laid by my predecessors, and to work with a committed Nigerian team.   

Suntory Group has seen the huge potential in Nigeria, and I am optimistic that we will continue grow Lucozade and Ribena brands and deliver value to our customers,” Patole said.

Patole holds a degree in Business Administration (Economics) from Mumbai University and replaces Gauthier Leveque as the new managing director.

In 2016, Suntory fully acquired the Lucozade and Ribena brands in Nigeria from GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Nigeria Plc (“GSK Nigeria Plc”) in a bid to strengthen its business in the country.

The food and beverage company has since then been in the race to gain a solid platform into the Nigerian soft drinks industry for its Lucozade and Ribena brands.

Among its major areas of focus, the company had identified innovation, research and development as factors to propel the foundation of its operations in Nigeria.

Since last year, the maker of Lucozade and Ribena has embarked on aggressive marketing and cost reduction initiatives as it seeks to achieve higher revenues and growth on its main brands.