Rita Enwere

Directed cross-functional teams to establish strategic leadership directions for business continuity management, environmental sustainability, quality systems, and safety, health and wellbeing initiatives at Guinness Nigeria.

Core responsibilities and deliverables.

Health, Safety & Environment

• Champion the development and continuous update of the market HSE strategy, delivering the company's zero harm ambition and enabling continuous improvement.
• Develop strong standards and procedures to enhance HSE risk management structure, addressing both existing and emerging safety threats.
• Facilitates adherence to HSE regulations, aligning organizational practices with local and international standards.
• Developed a sustainability roadmap that ensured compliance with market's grain-to-glass objectives.

Business Continuity Planning & Risk Management

• Created, executed, and regularly revises the business continuity and crisis management plans to ensure they are effective.
• Coordinates the Guinness leadership team to successfully manage crises, ensuring uninterrupted business operations.
• Achieved and maintained leadership status in Business Continuity Planning and Crisis Management, as per Diageo group internal global rating, since 2022.
• Achieved and sustained market's leading position in compliance to Diageo global risk management through dedicated risk management strategies.
• Cultivates strong partnership with regulatory agencies, ensuring proactive adaptation to changing regulatory requirements through effective collaboration with relevant bodies.

Quality & Management Systems

• Enhances performance delivery by developing end-to-end quality initiatives.
• Guides cross-functional teams in creating new initiatives for comprehensive impact evaluation.
• Coordinates with regional and global quality experts on improvement processes, strategies, structure, and delivery.
• Guarantees ISO management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 14001) certification maintenance via internal audits and capability development.
• Ensure stakeholder requirements are consistently exceeded to enhance project outcomes and satisfaction.

New Product Development

• Assisted in pilot plant trials and supported development for innovative products.
  Contributed to expansion of Guinness Nigeria NPI portfolio over four years.
  Facilitated collaboration between teams during product development phases.
• Collaborate with Technical innovation (liquid and brand change) to accelerate concept-to-commercial timelines through effective project management.
• Lead co-packing project management, onboarding two co-packing sites in the last four months

Learning & Development

• Teamed with Supply and HR to drive initiatives that birthed the Supply Chain Learning Academy at Guinness Nigeria.
• Partner with HR and department heads to create training initiatives, elevating employee skills and boosting Guinness supply efficiency.
• Led training and development initiatives for more than 18 new entrants in the bi-annual graduate management trainee program.

Local Material Supplier Quality Management

• Evaluates and enhances suppliers' quality, delivery, and design programs to address deficiencies.
• Partner with the Diageo S&T team to develop alternative suppliers for critical materials.
• Led initiatives to boost on-time and in-full supplier deliveries.
• Led technical audits to boost internal customer satisfaction.
• Co-led a project that partnered with research institutions (e.g. IITA), to address security of supplies for sorghum

Supported production sites, marketing innovation and commercial activations; clearly defining roles of raw materials, brewing, craftsmanship and taste profile in brand essence and credentials.

Core responsibilities and deliverables.

• Created and updated brand recipes for nine core Heineken Nigeria production sites and a contract packaging service provider, utilising industry-standard methodologies and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Delivered on recipe formulation, taste profiling, and product governance during product development.
• Managed extension and renovation of over 10 brands and 20 SKUs to enhance product offerings and meet consumer demand.
• Led comprehensive analysis and implementation of enzyme cost optimization strategies, resulting in significant cost savings.
• Piloted the launch of brewing autonomous maintenance pillar, enhancing total productive management by over 20%, without requiring Capex investment.
• Reviewed and discussed performance metrics during regular site meetings.
• Conducted supplier compliance audits as market coordinator and lead auditor to ensure adherence to industry standards and regulations.
• Facilitated improved information sharing between Heineken Nigeria, AMEE region, and Global Heineken team through peer-to-peer engagements.
• Coordinated efforts of cross-functional team in supply chain and commerce to develop comprehensive taste landscape for Nigerian Breweries PLC, integrating insights from product development and consumer feedback.

Led a team of 12 direct reports and over 40 non-direct reports to ensure the provision of comprehensive quality and environment solutions for the production unit, enhancing operational efficiency.

Core deliverables.

• Coordinated all aspects of third-party certification processes for production site's ISO 9001 quality, and ISO 14001 environmental management systems, utilizing project management tools and cross-functional team collaboration.
• Coordinated application processes for industry-specific permits and licenses from NESREA, OGEPA, SON, NAFDAC, and DPR, ensuring adherence to all regulations.
• Initiated twice-yearly evaluations of management system frameworks, including ISO 9001, ISO 22000, and ISO 18001, to ensure compliance and enhance operational effectiveness.
• Managed Heineken's 'Brewing a Better World' (BaBW) sustainability agenda and reporting for the Ijebu Ode site.
• Led environmental risk assessment for site, creating a robust emergency preparedness plan.
• Developed persuasive justification, leading to the rehabilitation of the site's dysfunctional aerobic effluent treatment plant for ISO 14001 compliance.

Deliverables

• Devised comprehensive risk assessment strategies and established detailed environmental aspect registers.
• Promoted environmental sustainability through tree planting initiatives.
• Revised HACCP plan to enhance food safety measures and mitigate risks associated with new equipment introduction in 2013.
• Assisted in conducting audits of packaging materials vendors for waste reduction initiative.
  Supported team members in implementing effective waste management strategies.
  Contributed to regional audit processes to enhance sustainability efforts.

Deliverables

• Designed instructional QA guide aimed at boosting awareness among brewing staff.
• Guided team's efforts to boost micro FTR bright beer from 74.5% to 92%.
• Assisted in project leadership for installation and commissioning of 94 frames Meura 2001 mash filter.
• Implemented inaugural Environment Pillar at Heineken. Secured process kaizen engineer certification.
• Directed associates to achieve daily production targets and ensure shop floor efficiency.
• Led production teams to ensure quality in daily, weekly, and monthly outputs.
• Led process improvement teams in quality delivery.

Deliverables

• Collaborated with fisheries research services to develop a detailed model for characterising oil spills in marine environments, utilising advanced statistical techniques and environmental data analysis.
• Released scholarly article in Journal of Environmental Monitoring ( J. Environ. Monit. , 2009, 11 , 1284-1291).

Completed a one-year mandatory national service teaching Chemistry and Physics to senior students and integrated sciences to junior students.

Deliverables

• Developed educational lessons aligned with official curriculum standards to enhance learner engagement and understanding.
• Facilitated student development and monitored progress effectively.
• Championed various programmes promoting environmental sustainability through NYSC's environmental community development services.