Guinness Ghana Breweries

BLACK GOLD IN GHANA

Guinness is a beverage enjoyed from Ireland to Africa and beyond. We take a look at the history of the iconic stout and speak to Helene Weesie, Managing Director of Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc, about the company’s efforts towards people and the planet

Writer: Marcus Kääpä | Project Manager: Bex Middleton

In 1759, history was unfolding in Dublin (Ireland) amid a period of national religious upheaval. Irish brewer, entrepreneur and philanthropist Arthur Guinness established roots and founded a brand after his namesake, producing a variety of ales and beers until exclusively focusing on porter/stout towards the end of the century at St. James’s Gate. Drawing from natural Irish ingredients, Arthur used roasted raw barley to invent a dark ruby red malt beer brew that pooled black and foamed white.

Thus, Guinness was born, an iron-rich beverage set to become a national (and later, international) sensation.

Today, this iconic black drink is a household name and the largest and most popular stout beer globally. Its centuries of history mark it out as a beverage whose roots are synonymous with Irish culture, and today it is the associated beverage for rugby on an international level.

Yet it is not just an Irish beverage; Guinness is consumed across the world and brewed in almost 50

countries, including Ghana. Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc (Guinness Ghana) is the leading total beverage business in the country and a subsidiary of Diageo Plc (Diageo), the world’s leading premium drinks business with internationally celebrated brands including Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, and Baileys.

“We have been operational in Ghana for over 62 years and operate from two sites, Kumasi and Accra, offering consumers a range of over 33 local and global brands including, of course, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout

Entec International crowned Diageo Africa

Supplier of the Year 2022

UK based Entec International is celebrating, having been named Breakthrough Performance Supplier and Diageo Africa Supplier of the Year 2022, to the global leader in premium drinks manufacturer.

Entec’s 3PMRO (3rd party Maintenance, Repair, Operations) procurement and supply chain services were recognised by Diageo with an Award for Breakthrough Performance, reflecting the roll out of Entec’s ‘Project Fulcrum’ 3PMRO business model, across the region. ‘Fulcrum’ optimises Diageo’s MRO procurement, streamlines its MRO global supply chain and right sizes spares inventory to support both demand and planned maintenance. Project Fulcrum saves Diageo significant cost, reduces its carbon footprint, simplifies administrative complexity, and returns cash to the businesses.

Congratulating Entec on the Supplier of the Year accolade, Diageo’s Head of Procurement for Africa, Arthur Mamvura, said: “Entec’s outstanding contribution and commitment to our business is hugely appreciated by all of us here at Diageo, and I hope that the Project Fulcrum team have

“Congratulations to a well-deserved winner, in particular for the consistent effort and resilience in bringing this project to reality over a number of years! Well done to the Entec team - we look forward to further roll outs.”

Speaking on behalf of Entec, Project Manager Chris Cullen commented, “We have been shortlisted for awards by Diageo before, but we never imagined we would win not only in the Breakthrough Performance category, but also scoop the prestigious Africa Supplier of the Year title against 58 other top suppliers nominated across many different disciplines. These awards are presented to companies that demonstrate outstanding support, flexibility and a proactive response to challenges and opportunities. This honour reflects the commitment and application the Entec team has put into delivering the Diageo Africa Fulcrum Project.

“The fact that MRO has been recognised is of particular significance,” he added. “Historically, MRO supply chains have tended to operate ‘behind the scenes’ and our achievements largely go unsung. These awards not only reflect Entec’s hard work in helping Diageo meet its targets, but also put the importance of efficient procurement and MRO supply firmly in the spotlight. The entire team couldn’t be more proud and delighted!”

Entec was also listed as one of finalists in the Global Supplier of the Year 2022, along with five other regional winners.

Project Fulcrum will be operating in fifteen sites across Africa, including Ghana – where Project Fulcrum was first successfully trialled – Cameroon, Uganda and Nigeria in West Africa, South Africa an in East Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and the Seychelles.

Diageo Africa Supplier of The Year 2022

Entec works in partnership with world leading FMCG companies like Diageo to reduce CO2 emissions and cut costs by streamlining MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Operations) supply chains and using data driven purchase tools to inform procurement.

By optimising spares inventory, we:

• Improve operational efficiency

• Increase return on capital

• Reduce supply complexity

• Create competitive edge www.entec-int.com

Let Entec help maximise Your business performance

- Ghana’s number one stout beerwhich is locally nicknamed ‘Black Gold’,” says Helene Weesie, Managing Director of Guinness Ghana.

Ghana is known for its exports of gold and cocoa. But currently, Ghana is facing a challenging economic situation with unprecedented inflation and depreciation of the local currency. This situation is impacting families, communities and businesses, requiring all to adapt to the circumstances. For the business, it means that Guinness Ghana has implemented a different way of working, setting even clearer priorities and having a ruthless focus on costs.

“The business environment is tough, but we have been swift to adapt and even created some wins in bringing out two innovations. Our motto “Yes,

AFRICA OUTLOOK: COULD YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND CAREER HISTORY?

Helene Weesie, Managing Director: “I am a Dutch national with over 25 years of international experience, mainly with multinationals in emerging markets (Unilever, Heineken and Diageo). My background is in marketing and sociology, reflecting my passion for people and cultures.

“I am particularly interested in the ways people perceive brands, how they make their choices, and how we can try to influence these choices. Over the years I moved from marketing into commercial roles and from single market to multi market responsibility. For the past 12 years I have been in Managing Director positions and have lived and worked in seven countries.”

We Can!” certainly has boosted our team’s confidence and helped us to overcome many barriers,” she tells us.

Guinness Ghana’s portfolio covers a wide range of categories, from beers and ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages to international and local spirits, and malts. In each of these categories, Guinness Ghana continues to innovate to enrich the experiences of its consumers, introducing new brands, packaging, flavours and variants.

“This year we have introduced two new propositions to the portfolio: Gordon’s Pink Berry and Malta Guinness Cocoa!” Weesie adds.

GREEN BREWING

Guinness Ghana seeks to have a positive impact in Ghana as both an employer and manufacturer, and a partner for wider growth. The company is committed to sourcing above 70 percent local raw materials for brewing the finest beverages and

continues to invest in sustainable agriculture and brewing operations in keeping with its sustainable mantra of “grain to glass” in communities where it sources, produces and sells.

Sourcing local raw materials is key to Guinness Ghana’s strategy in the country and has a positive impact, creating employment and revenue in its communities. The company currently sources over 60 percent locally, a figure it has grown exponentially in recent years. Guinness Ghana also continues to expand its agricultural commitment and farmer network. Specifically, it works with over 30,000 farmers through its regenerative farmer programmes, designed to boost productivity and provide skills training and tools for development.

According to Weesie, Guinness Ghana is committed to managing water use efficiently and increasing access to clean water

Helene Weesie, Managing Director

ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVES

Guinness Ghana key milestones:

• Since 2020, Guinness Ghana has continued to achieve its water replenishment target and delivered 175,202 cubic metres of water to its local sourcing communities.

• Guinness Ghana’s WASH projects in Garu and Jirapa have served over 24,298 beneficiaries since 2020.

• A 1.0 MWp solar power facility was installed at Guinness Ghana’s Achimota Site in 2020. This generates approximately 1.3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per annum. It is sized to cover base load during peak times. The roof mounted solar panels occupy 40-50 percent of the existing 20,000 square metre roof area of the main production building at the plant.

• All Guinness Ghana’s Water for Life (WfL) projects in its local sourcing areas are also solar powered in support of this ambition.

– HELENE WEESIE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GUINNESS GHANA BREWERIES PLC

in water-stressed areas, with the company having provided over 24,290 people with safe water or sanitation since 2020. On top of this, Guinness Ghana has also constructed and commissioned three solar mechanised water systems in its local sourcing areas – Garu and Jirapa –since 2020.

“Additionally, we are actively reducing our environmental impact,” she continues. “Since 2015, we have ensured zero waste to landfill. To address the menace of plastic waste, we have co-established the Ghana Recycling Initiative by Private Enterprises (GRIPE) and joined the National Plastic Action Partnership. In Ghana we have pioneered a Diageo post-consumer plastics collection and recycling model, and partnered with Coliba Ghana in 2021 to set

up 10 plastics community collection centres: eight in Accra and two in Kumasi.”

The company brewery in Achimota has a 1.0 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power facility which provides 10 percent of its energy, and Guinness Ghana is planning to install a similar yet larger system in its brewery in Kumasi later this year.

While Guinness Ghana puts a lot of effort into environmental objectives, it also informs consumers in various ways. One such example is the company’s DRINKiQ online platform, a versatile tool which Guinness Ghana uses to educate

“GUINNESS FOREIGN EXTRA STOUTGHANA’S NUMBER ONE STOUT BEER”

Beyond the Line [BTL] Marketing is a member of the Beyond the Line [BTL] Africa Group, a full-service marketing agency, offering out-of-the-box solutions for a multifaceted spectrum of clients. We are the fastest growing Experiential, Media, Digital and Marketing technological agency network in Africa with a decade of experience under our belt in leading brands to conquer the continent. We create our magic in Ghana, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Zambia, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, and a host of other markets via affiliates and partnerships.

btl_africa

BTL marketing Solutions

btl_africa

info@btlafrica.com

btlafrica.com

Elloeny (W/C Africa): +23344537052

Sam (S/E Africa): +243827600632

consumers on alcohol consumption.

“We have custom-made campaigns to inform and educate around drink driving – currently, our flagship Wrong Side of the Road drink driving programme enables us to educate and support consumers and the general populace to make informed decisions around alcohol and driving,” Weesie elaborates.

“Through SMASHED underage drink programmes, we deliver a strong and clear message to stop underage drinking. Since 2020 this programme has educated over 12,000 second cycle students on the harmful effects of drinking before the age of 18. Wrong Side of the Road has educated over 3,000 people since it went live in April/May 2022 on the dangers of drinking and driving.”

PEOPLE-CENTRIC PORTER

This people-centric focus is also embodied by Guinness Ghana’s recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

Guinness Ghana directly employs over 500 talented full-time employees, over 600 contractors/third party employees and indirectly over 40,000 people in the country to grow the business, nurture its brands and create new products.

“We are committed to developing local talent and ensuring that Guinness Ghana is a great place to work,” Weesie says. “We are particularly focused on driving inclusion and diversity (I&D). We have developed a strong internal women’s network – Spirited Women’s Network Ghana (SWN Ghana) – which has, over the years, been at the forefront of championing the interests of women across our sites.”

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Guinness Ghana decided to invest in its I&D agenda. At the time, the overall business had a total female representation of 20 percent. With an ambition to reach 50 percent, improving I&D was therefore a critical focus area for the company.

According to Weesie, Guinness Ghana’s commercial and supply functions scored relatively low in female representation, and in light of this the company made them focus areas. In supply, it struggled to recruit competent females with a technical

background, with research in Ghana showing that females account for about 20 percent of engineering graduates but leave the technical field at a 45 percent higher rate than males.

To ensure access to competent women, the business set up an in-house STEM programme in which Guinness Ghana offers graduates with technical backgrounds from identified universities six months of training, learning and development. Working in close collaboration with selected universities in 2022, Guinness Ghana offered the programme to 80 women. After the programme, the company was able to bring 25 females on board and significantly improve its representation of women in the supply function.

“With programmes like this, over the last two years for the total business, Guinness Ghana has improved its gender representation from 20 percent to 25 percent,”

“WE ARE COMMITTED TO DEVELOPING LOCAL TALENT AND ENSURING THAT GUINNESS GHANA IS A GREAT

Weesie tells us. “In our senior leadership, 50 percent are currently women, and we target gender parity leadership for all leadership roles in the mid-term.

“We also believe we have a key part to play in society to create role models and demonstrate that in a typical male dominated industry (beer), women can thrive. We have appointed women in traditionally male roles such as Supply Chain Director, Brewery Site Manager, Security Manager, Engineer, Forklift Driver and more. I am the first female Managing Director of Guinness Ghana (in 62 years!). We have a canning line which is exclusively run by women, and we showcase our stories at universities, at conferences and in the media to inspire the conversation.”

With Weesie at the helm, Guinness Ghana is set for a positively productive and inclusive future. For the rest of the year, the economic

environment in Ghana is expected to remain challenging, however Guinness Ghana is demonstrating that even in the toughest circumstances it is able to identify and leverage opportunities.

“We will continue to engage and support our teams, as well as focus on our I&D and sustainability programmes and innovations,” she concludes. “Connection with our consumers will be more important than ever, and our brand activations across the portfolio will enable them to have moments of joy and celebration despite the economic challenges.”

GUINNESS GHANA BREWERIES PLC

Tel: +233 302428000

www.guinnessghana.com

PLACE TO WORK”

– HELENE WEESIE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, GUINNESS GHANA BREWERIES PLC