PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc has appointed Oghale Joseph Elueni, a graduate of the University of Ibadan, as its new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer.
The appointment was disclosed in a notification to shareholders, the investing public, and the Nigerian Exchange Limited, signed by the Company Secretary, ALSEC Nominees Limited.
Elueni’s appointment follows the resignation of Dimitrios Kostianis, who stepped down as CEO after three years in the role to take up a new position within the PZ Cussons Group.
What they are saying
According to the statement, Elueni’s appointment takes effect from June 1, 2026. Until his latest appointment, he served as Managing Director of the company’s Consumer business.
- “The Board has approved the appointment of Mr. Oghale Joseph Elueni to the Board of Directors as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Company with effect from 1st June 2026,” the company says in a statement.
- “The Board is confident that his leadership capabilities, commercial experience, and deep understanding of the business will support the continued growth and strategic direction of the Company.”
Elueni has been with PZ Cussons Nigeria since 2021 and is expected to lead the company through its next phase of growth.
Elueni’s track record
Oghale Joseph Elueni is a seasoned consumer goods executive with more than two decades of leadership experience across Africa, North America, and global markets.
- He has over 20 years of experience in the consumer goods sector, with extensive leadership experience across Nigeria and other emerging markets.
- He is also a member of the company’s Global Executive Committee, contributing to enterprise-wide strategic decisions.
- Before joining PZ Cussons Nigeria, he held senior leadership roles at SC Johnson and Procter & Gamble across Africa and the United States.
As General Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa at SC Johnson, he oversaw end-to-end profit and loss performance for the continent, driving sustainable growth and market share gains across priority markets such as South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ethiopia.
Prior to that, Elueni served as Managing Director, West Africa, where he led business operations across Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal, integrating functional strategies into market plans, strengthening stakeholder relationships, and delivering financial and market share objectives.
More insights
Elueni also spent over 13 years at Procter & Gamble, where he held several senior commercial and strategic leadership roles.
As Country Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan African Expansion Markets, based in Nairobi, he managed sales, market share, trade spending effectiveness, and distributor partnerships across several African countries.
His markets included Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and Gabon.
He played a key role in strengthening go-to-market capabilities and executing distributor transitions in key markets.
His international experience also includes serving as Global Business Development Manager on the Walmart International Team in the United States.
In that role, he managed one of P&G’s major global customer relationships, led innovation launches across 27 countries, delivered multimillion-dollar sales growth initiatives, coordinated international category expansion programmes, and supported commercial and social-impact initiatives across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Academic profile
Elueni is a graduate of the University of Ibadan, where he studied Microbiology and graduated in 2001.
- He later attended Cornell University, where he completed the Retail Executive Program in 2012.
- His academic background combines science-based training with executive education in retail and business leadership.
- This complements his career experience across sales, market expansion, distribution, and consumer goods strategy.
PZ Cussons Nigeria said the Board is confident that his leadership capabilities, commercial experience, and understanding of the business will support the company’s continued growth and strategic direction.
What you should know
PZ Cussons Nigeria recently returned to profitability, according to its financial results for the half year ended November 30, 2025.
- The company posted a pre-tax profit of N37.9 billion for the period.
- This marked a sharp turnaround from the N5.5 billion pre-tax loss recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
- Second-quarter earnings of N16.3 billion played a key role in the recovery.
The rebound was driven by stronger revenue, foreign exchange gains, higher other income, and lower interest costs.
The improved earnings position provides the backdrop for Elueni’s appointment as he takes over the leadership of the company from June 1, 2026.
