Optimism keeps him afloat
Jul 04, 2011
“It is now time for Africa to shine and it is starting in Nigeria,†says Herbert Nuwamanya. According to Nuwamanya, who works as the head of the commercial business development section for Coca-Cola Hellenic-Nigeria, the country is fast-becoming the place to be for many firms.
By Shamilla Kara
“It is now time for Africa to shine and it is starting in Nigeria,†says Herbert Nuwamanya. According to Nuwamanya, who works as the head of the commercial business development section for Coca-Cola Hellenic-Nigeria, the country is fast-becoming the place to be for many firms.
Coca-Cola Hellenic-Nigeria has the franchise to bottle and distribute Coca-Cola brands in Nigeria. “Those in the corporate world will tell you that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,†he adds about the country whose projected foreign direct investment in five years is over $30b.
Career background
Nuwamanya has been working with the Coca-Cola group since 1997, when he started as a graduate trainee at Century Bottling Company in Kampala.
He then spent eight months opening up the Coca-Cola frontier in western Uganda. Later, he was appointed a sales services supervisor at the then new factory that was opened in Mbarara in October, 1998.
“This was an exciting opportunity as I was responsible for building the sales services department from scratch.â€
In 1999, he became the sales manager designate for the western region, where he was also included on the Coca-Cola SABCO mentorship and talent development programme. He was appointed the market execution manager for the Kampala region, covering Kampala, eastern and northern Uganda, in 2000.
A year later, he became the national sales manager, a position he held until 2004, when he moved to Mozambique as the national sales manager.
In 2006, he became the division sales manager for Coca-Cola SABCO for the north and east Africa division, covering Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Ethiopia. Two years later, he was put on a general manager development programme and appointed the sales and marketing manager for the Coca-Cola SABCO, Tanzania business.
At the end of 2009, he decided to “change companies and gain broader exposure to other parts of Africa.â€
That is how he ended up in Nigeria, where he still is.
Something he worked towards
“Everything I have done, I have always wanted to be. I am a firm believer in accidental occurrences,†he says.
About his work
Nuwamanya says being associated with the biggest brand is the best thing that has happened to him.
“I have been able to meet and appreciate people from all walks of life. This has humbled me.â€
Do you see a changed Uganda?
“Living away from home, I always notice the changes when I get back.
“I am always surprised at how fast things are progressing,†he says, adding that he is optimistic about Uganda’s and Africa’s success.
“I see a half-full glass. The last frontier is Africa. China and the rest of Asia have already been conquered.â€
On working outside Uganda
Nuwamanya believes he has been able to appreciate every country he has been to because of his “half-full glass†philosophy, in addition to optimism.
“I prefer to dwell on the positives. It is less stressful. If you look for what is not working, you surely will find it. But that is not my perspective.â€
As such, he always finds something good to learn about a new place.
All the travelling, he adds, has made him appreciate home better than before he went to live abroad.
“While it is rewarding in terms of exposure to the bigger world out there, there are of course challenges, such as losing touch with your local network,†says Nuwamanya, who has a bachelor‘s of commerce degree and a MSc in marketing from Makerere University.
“It is now time for Africa to shine and it is starting in Nigeria,†says Herbert Nuwamanya. According to Nuwamanya, who works as the head of the commercial business development section for Coca-Cola Hellenic-Nigeria, the country is fast-becoming the place to be for many firms.
Coca-Cola Hellenic-Nigeria has the franchise to bottle and distribute Coca-Cola brands in Nigeria. “Those in the corporate world will tell you that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,†he adds about the country whose projected foreign direct investment in five years is over $30b.
Career background
Nuwamanya has been working with the Coca-Cola group since 1997, when he started as a graduate trainee at Century Bottling Company in Kampala.
He then spent eight months opening up the Coca-Cola frontier in western Uganda. Later, he was appointed a sales services supervisor at the then new factory that was opened in Mbarara in October, 1998.
“This was an exciting opportunity as I was responsible for building the sales services department from scratch.â€
In 1999, he became the sales manager designate for the western region, where he was also included on the Coca-Cola SABCO mentorship and talent development programme. He was appointed the market execution manager for the Kampala region, covering Kampala, eastern and northern Uganda, in 2000.
A year later, he became the national sales manager, a position he held until 2004, when he moved to Mozambique as the national sales manager.
In 2006, he became the division sales manager for Coca-Cola SABCO for the north and east Africa division, covering Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Ethiopia. Two years later, he was put on a general manager development programme and appointed the sales and marketing manager for the Coca-Cola SABCO, Tanzania business.
At the end of 2009, he decided to “change companies and gain broader exposure to other parts of Africa.â€
That is how he ended up in Nigeria, where he still is.
Something he worked towards
“Everything I have done, I have always wanted to be. I am a firm believer in accidental occurrences,†he says.
About his work
Nuwamanya says being associated with the biggest brand is the best thing that has happened to him.
“I have been able to meet and appreciate people from all walks of life. This has humbled me.â€
Do you see a changed Uganda?
“Living away from home, I always notice the changes when I get back.
“I am always surprised at how fast things are progressing,†he says, adding that he is optimistic about Uganda’s and Africa’s success.
“I see a half-full glass. The last frontier is Africa. China and the rest of Asia have already been conquered.â€
On working outside Uganda
Nuwamanya believes he has been able to appreciate every country he has been to because of his “half-full glass†philosophy, in addition to optimism.
“I prefer to dwell on the positives. It is less stressful. If you look for what is not working, you surely will find it. But that is not my perspective.â€
As such, he always finds something good to learn about a new place.
All the travelling, he adds, has made him appreciate home better than before he went to live abroad.
“While it is rewarding in terms of exposure to the bigger world out there, there are of course challenges, such as losing touch with your local network,†says Nuwamanya, who has a bachelor‘s of commerce degree and a MSc in marketing from Makerere University.