Tobi Adeniyi becomes Unilever Nigeria’s youngest managing director

Unilever Nigeria has appointed Tobi Adeniyi as the firm’s new Managing Director, making him the youngest citizen of the country to hold the position on the board of the multinational company.

The 39-year-old will be taking over from the current Managing Director, Tim Kleinebenne, effective January 1, 2025, a positive sign of belief in youth by the multinational that has operated in Nigeria for over 100 years.

As gathered, the appointment of the young man has been described as symbolic considering that the last time Unilever Nigeria had a citizen of the country holding this key position was in the year 1997.

Announcing Adeniyi’s appointment on Monday, the Chairman of Unilever Nigeria, Bolaji Balogun, said “On behalf of the Board of Directors and everyone at Unilever Nigeria, I am delighted to congratulate Mr. Tobi Adeniyi on his appointment as Managing Director Designate. Mr. Adeniyi’s extensive experience and exceptional leadership skills make him an outstanding choice at this time, to lead us into a bright and even more successful future.”

He stated that the Board is confident that under Tobi’s leadership, Unilever Nigeria Plc will continue to flourish and achieve greater heights. He also expressed his appreciation to Mr. Tim Kleinebenne, the outgoing Managing Director, for his leadership and service to Unilever Nigeria’s growth and success.

Announcing the appointment, Ben Langat, Executive Vice President, Unilever East and West Africa, said, “I am pleased that we are implementing this transition which is in line with our robust succession planning initiative at Unilever. Tobi has a deep connection and understanding of the Nigerian market terrain, and coupled with his extensive background, his experience will be valuable towards the journey ahead for the business.”

Before his appointment, Adeniyi began his career as a Unilever Future Leader in 2009 and has amassed a wealth of experience across multiple facets of the Supply Chain (strategic & operational) and Commercial operations.

His expertise spans Logistics, Planning, Strategic Supply Chain, Procurement, and Sales, with assignments that have taken him across diverse markets including, Singapore, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

Most recently, he has been instrumental in driving Unilever Nigeria’s sales transformation agenda, delivering impactful results through strategic initiatives nationwide.

He serves as current Vice Chairman of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria Export Promotion Group (MANEG) and is a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD).

Tobi has spent a fair share of his career working across Africa and Asia (Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia), and this has broadened his appreciation of cultural influences within the workplace.

His passion is to continuously put Africa and African talent on the global map when it comes to supply chain strategy, processes, and performance, by demonstrating a pioneering spirit.

Tobi is a graduate of Computer Engineering (BSc.) from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana and an active stakeholder in fostering and enabling a community of Supply Chain practitioners across Nigeria. He is also a keen advocate for grooming and mentoring the next generation of professional talents in the country, and occasionally serves in advisory/mentorship capacity for some Start-Up initiatives.