Local executive with a passion for high-performing teams takes the reins at Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda

Namanve, Uganda – Coca-Cola Beverages Uganda (CCBU) has appointed Emmy Hashakimana as its new General Manager following a distinguished term as the Commercial Director at Uganda Breweries. 

He boasts a strong career foundation with Unilever and Diageo, having joined Uganda Breweries in 2012 as Head of Customer Marketing. He progressed through several leadership roles, including five years in London with Diageo’s Global Innovation Team, where he served as Head of Innovation Commercialisation for Africa. On returning to Uganda, he led the Marketing and Innovation function, before taking on his latest role as Commercial Director. 

In this capacity, he led a team of over 200, delivering double-digit profit growth and tripling turnover in key regions through stronger sales and operations planning, streamlined sales execution, and digital route-to-market innovation. Hashakimana is also passionate about building high-performing, diverse teams and has supported internal talent mobility across the United Kingdom, Kenya and Tanzania. 

Hashakimana takes up his new position at CCBU, a company in the Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) group, with effect from 12 August 2025. 

“This appointment reflects our continued focus on strengthening local talent in Africa and building a strong leadership pipeline for the future,” said CCBA Chief Operating Officer, Gavin Hudson. 

“We have a people-first culture that ensures unparalleled professional development for our valued employees. 

“Our aim is to nurture potential, attract and retain high-performing talent, and invest in growth. 

“At CCBA, we invest in our people to foster an inclusive and thriving workplace that accelerates our growth. 

“We empower individuals to thrive and our certification as a Top Employer in Uganda and three other countries, as well as in Africa at the regional level, reflects the strength of our commitment to being an employer of choice for professionals with a desire to learn and grow. 

“CCBA’s continued market success and status as the largest bottler of beloved Coca-Cola brands on the continent are key differentiators. 

“We are excited to welcome Emmy to CCBA. His passion for building high-performing teams and his deep understanding of the East African market make him a valuable addition to our leadership. We look forward to the journey ahead with Emmy as part of our team,” Hudson said. 

  • Business, EVP

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Frank O’Donnell

Chief Commercial and Customer Officer, CCBA

Frank leads CCBA’s commercial agenda, with responsibility for accelerating revenue growth, strengthening route to market and customer partnerships and driving execution excellence across markets.

Frank brings extensive international experience from Coca‑Cola HBC, where he held a range of senior commercial and general management roles. Most recently, he served as Region Director, overseeing 13 markets across Europe, where he led high-performing teams and delivered strong business results.

He is recognised for his strong commercial acumen, customer focus and track record in building high-performing teams across diverse markets.

Gerald Lewis

Chief Information Officer, CCBA

Gerald leads CCBA’s digital, data and technology agenda, focusing on enabling business performance through scalable platforms and enhanced digital capabilities.  Gerald brings extensive international experience, most recently as Head of Technology Strategy & Operations at Coca‑Cola HBC. He has also held senior CIO roles at Bacardi across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, as well as transformation roles at GlaxoSmithKline and Mettler Toledo. He is recognised for translating technology strategy into business value and for leading transformation across emerging markets.

Matthew Welz

General Counsel and Company Secretary, CCBA

Matthew joined us from the Clicks Group, a JSE Top-40 company, where he has been the Head of Legal and Company Secretary since 2016. In this role Matthew successfully navigated a highly regulated environment, including overseeing compliance with company laws and the JSE Listings Requirements. As company secretary, he managed governance at Board level as well as being the Chairman’s chief of staff. Prior to this, Matthew was a Legal Manager with Anglo American, a major multinational diversified mining group, which includes three companies listed on the JSE, with extensive operations across Southern Africa.

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