Nigerian Breweries Plc, a HEINEKEN operating company, has announced the appointment of Sarah Agha as its new marketing director, effective June 1.
The appointment was confirmed by Hans Essaadi the managing director, who stated that Agha will lead the company’s marketing strategy and portfolio development to drive the next phase of growth under its EverGreen 2030 plan.
“With Nigeria’s dynamic market landscape, Sarah will focus on embedding a consumer-led strategy to transform and regain superiority in the mainstream, while also advancing our leadership in premium segments and new growth areas beyond beer,” said Essaadi.
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Since joining Nigerian Breweries in 2018, Agha has been credited with delivering strong results for both international premium brands such as Heineken and Desperados, as well as homegrown favourites like Legend Extra Stout, Star, and Gulder. Her leadership over the past four years has extended to global commerce roles across the Global Commerce Unit and the Africa, Middle East (AME) region.
In her most recent position as AME regional marketing excellence director at HEINEKEN International, Agha steered the marketing agenda for the region, focusing on building competitive consumer portfolios and strengthening brand-building strategies across markets. According to Essaadi, she also played an important role in improving collaboration with HEINEKEN’s operating companies, shifting from traditional capability-building programmes to embedding more impactful, execution-driven capabilities.
Before her time at HEINEKEN, Agha built a diverse career in the fast-moving consumer goods and telecommunications sectors, where she held key management positions. She is widely recognised within the industry as a strategic thinker and passionate brand builder.
“Sarah is a valuable partner and thought leader, known for her commitment to developing both brands and people,” added Essaadi.
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Nigerian Breweries Plc, part of the HEINEKEN Group, is Nigeria’s oldest and largest brewing company. Founded in 1946 as Nigerian Brewery Limited, it launched the country’s first domestically brewed lager, STAR, in 1949. Today, the company operates nine breweries and two malting plants across the country, producing a diverse portfolio of 19 brands including Heineken, Desperados, Maltina, Life, Amstel Malta, Gulder, Fayrouz, and Legend.
Sarah Agha – From Chemical engineering to global brand leadership
Sarah Agha is a seasoned marketing executive whose career journey exemplifies versatility, leadership, and transformative impact. Trained initially as a chemical engineer, she graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University before turning her focus to business and leadership.
She holds an MBA from Business School Netherlands, completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School, and undertook executive leadership training at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
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Her professional pivot from engineering to marketing saw her enter the world of consumer insight and advertising, beginning a career that has spanned over two decades across fast-moving consumer goods, telecommunications, and advertising. Agha’s work has taken her across continents, with leadership roles in both regional and global capacities. From managing telecom products in Nigeria to shaping marketing capabilities across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, she has demonstrated consistent excellence in building brands, people, and systems.
At Nigerian Breweries Plc, her achievements are particularly notable. Between 2018 and 2023, she led the company’s National Premium Portfolio, managing iconic brands such as Heineken, Desperados, Star, Gulder, and Legend Extra Stout. Under her leadership, Desperados was successfully launched in Nigeria, one of only three African markets to do so in a quarter century. She also led the rollout of the Heineken sleek can, which exceeded performance targets and became Nigeria’s top-selling beer in the 33cl SKU segment.
Agha masterminded the Heineken Trophy Tour in Nigeria, making the country one of Heineken’s top ten global markets by contribution, rebranded Legend Extra Stout, and co-developed the popular “Access the Stars” music talent show in partnership with Access Bank and Star Lager.
Beyond performance, Agha is a strong advocate for gender equity and inclusive leadership. She is widely respected for mentoring female professionals, challenging cultural norms, and championing women’s empowerment within Heineken and across the marketing industry. Her ethos is grounded in the belief that experience and voice can inspire women to navigate the complexities of corporate life and rise as confident leaders.
Her marketing experience is deep and comprehensive, covering the entire value chain—from consumer research and brand strategy to product development, pricing, packaging, route-to-market, and sales. Early in her career, she worked as a Senior Research Executive at Research International Market, delivering insight-driven projects for brands such as Unilever, British American Tobacco, and UBA.
A career-defining chapter came when she joined InterC Network as Commercial Director. There, she led the rebranding and relaunch of Intercellular, Nigeria’s first privately owned telco, reviving the dormant company and transforming it into a digitally enabled business. Her work included rebuilding the product portfolio, recruiting distributors, launching e-commerce platforms, and doubling revenue in a short span.
Before her FMCG success, Agha made a name for herself in advertising at Insight Communications (now Insight Publicis), one of West Africa’s top agencies. Rising to the role of Business Director, she won key accounts such as Tecno, Bobo, Qualcomm, StarTimes, and Lagos State Government, while also contributing to major campaigns for Heineken, Gulder, and Amstel Malta. She was recognised with the Most Innovative Staff Award in 2012 and served on the agency’s Value Council.
Agha’s experience at Heineken’s Global Commerce Division in Amsterdam further cemented her global impact. She played a crucial role in refreshing brand-building models, transferring knowledge across markets, and embedding global marketing capabilities in regional teams. Her leadership helped develop tools and processes that elevated local marketing performance and built a culture of excellence.
