Previously the Group HR director of East African Breweries Limited (EABL), Ednah brings 18 years of industry experience to her new role
Diageo, the largest stakeholder in EABL, elevated Ednah Otieno, the Group Human Resources Director of EABL to take on the position of HR director in Diageo, Great Britain, effective from July 1, 2021.
Her excellent work at EABL and her efforts towards inspiring and creating a strong succession pipeline has earned her high praise. She is also credited for building a strong learning culture that focuses on self-directed learning. Her efforts towards implementing parental leaves and enabling cross-functional collaborations while also ensuring diversity through parity hiring are noteworthy achievements in her experience-rich career of 18 years.
Looking back, Otieno started her career with EABL Africa as a graduate trainee in 2003. Back then, she served in different roles in the HR team, from handling talent, rewards to shared services. She then joined Airtel Africa in 2014, as head of organisation effectiveness and rewards. In 2015, she joined Mars Wrigley as the Head of People before returning to Diageo as Group Human Director, EABL in August 2017 where she also served as head of rewards for Diageo Africa.
Ecstatic about her new role, Ednah is reported to have said,
"This historic promotion falls in line with our diversity and inclusion agenda that of the Diageo Group. At EABL, we celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive culture that enables every individual in the organisation to contribute and grow in an environment where everyone is valued for who they uniquely are. I’m proud that my promotion epitomises this culture,”
Ednah now hopes to improve employee experiences and business continuity through the Covid -19 pandemic period. She aims to place priority on health and wellbeing, making it the focal point of all conversations and actions.