In line with its vision of promoting excellence across Nigeria’s economic and business landscape and beyond, MARKETING EDGE, the nation’s leading brand and marketing communications publication, has once again beamed its searchlight on one of the finest icons of corporate leadership and integrity, Otunba Seni Adetu.

At the prestigious MARKETING EDGE Awards, the platform celebrated this distinguished statesman of the marketing and corporate world with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Advertising and Marketing, honouring a man whose celebrated career and quiet grace have shaped industries, inspired generations, and strengthened the very fabric of Africa’s corporate culture.

For MARKETING EDGE, this recognition was not just another plaque on a shelf but a tribute to a life that has consistently embodied purpose, excellence, and the ethics that define enduring leadership.

The Brand Behind the Brands

Across decades of transformational leadership, Otunba Seni Adetu has built a reputation so intertwined with success that his name has become synonymous with the very brands he guided.

He is that rare corporate craftsman whose fingerprints are visible in some of the continent’s most respected brand stories the man behind the successful growth of several global names, enhanced with the magic of his vision, discipline, and innovation.

Indeed, within marketing and business circles, it has somehow come to look often like when one mentions Guinness and fails to mention Seni Adetu, something vital feels missing.

Such is the depth of his imprint not just on organisations but on their spirit and story.

From a Modest Beginning to a Monumental Legacy

Born with a vision larger than circumstance, Otunba Adetu built his story on the twin pillars of education and integrity.

Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Lagos, he began a career that would later cross borders, define industries, and elevate standards.

His early professional life at John Holt Plc offered a platform for learning and grounding
a place where character met competence and where the foundations for a lifetime of leadership were quietly laid.

The Coca-Cola Journey: Shaping a Global Voice

Otunba Adetu’s entry into Coca-Cola International marked the beginning of a remarkable ascent.

Over 14 years, he rose through the ranks from Marketing Director to Country General Manager, leaving a trail of innovation and unity across diverse markets.

By 2001, he had etched his name in history as the first Nigerian Managing Director of Coca-Cola English West Africa, headquartered in Ghana a feat that reflected not only professional brilliance but also his ability to lead with empathy and vision across borders.

Under his leadership, Coca-Cola’s growth in West Africa became more than a business story; it was a cultural evolution powered by authenticity, strategy, and human connection.

Diageo and the Guinness Glory

When he joined Diageo, the global beverage giant, Otunba Adetu went beyond bringing experience; he brought transformation.

As Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Ghana Breweries Ltd, he led with a rare blend of precision and passion, earning the company Diageo’s Company of the Year Award in 2008.

His next chapter as Group Managing Director/CEO of East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) elevated him further as one of Africa’s most respected corporate figures.

Across Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, he inspired a generation of professionals and proved that leadership rooted in ethics and empathy can be both humane and high-performing.

When he later returned home to Nigeria as Managing Director/CEO of Guinness Nigeria Plc, the story came full circle.

Under his guidance, Guinness did not just flourish as a brand; it deepened its connection with Nigerians, redefining excellence in performance and reputation.

To the industry, his name became inseparable from the Guinness success story an enduring emblem of class, courage, and corporate credibility.

Beyond the Boardroom: The Mentor and Builder

Far beyond his corporate laurels, Otunba Adetu continues to shape minds, institutions, and values.

As Chairman of First Primus West Africa Ltd, Algorithm Media Nigeria Ltd, and Ogilvy Nigeria Ltd, his strategic influence remains profound in Nigeria’s marketing and communications landscape.

As a Non-Executive Director at Fidelity Bank Plc, he lends his expertise to fostering governance excellence and strengthening institutional trust.

Through his visionary mentorship platform, Leadership Sparklab, Otunba Adetu channels decades of experience into nurturing the next generation of ethical leaders.

His sessions and teachings practical, sincere, and deeply personal have become a lighthouse for many young professionals navigating their own paths to leadership.

A Legacy Crowned in Honour

His mantle of recognition stretches far and wide from Forbes/CNBC Business Leader of the Year (East Africa) to Diageo International CEO of the Year each honour affirming his consistency and authenticity across borders.

Yet, this most recent recognition by MARKETING EDGE carries a unique resonance.

It comes from an industry he helped shape, a community that watched him lead, and a nation that proudly claims him as one of its finest exports in corporate governance and brand leadership.

For MARKETING EDGE, the award celebrates more than his achievements it celebrates his humanity. The humility that never faded despite fame.

The integrity that never wavered despite success.

The mentorship that continues to multiply long after boardroom applause has faded.

The Timeless Brand Called Seni Adetu

Otunba Adetu’s story is more than a biography.

In fact, it is a brand narrative, a living example of how integrity, vision, and empathy can turn careers into callings and titles into testimonies.

He represents a timeless ideal, one that proves greatness is not defined by how loudly you lead but by how meaningfully you leave your mark.

As MARKETING EDGE honoured him, it did more than celebrate a career; it immortalized a philosophy one that proves that excellence, when built on character, becomes not just a legacy but a light that guides others.

Indeed, like the brands he once stewarded, Seni Adetu is not just remembered but revered.

And just like the finest brands, his name will continue to inspire trust, respect, and admiration for generations to come.