Group Legal Counsel East African Breweries Ltd - Kenya
Job Description
- As Head of EABL’s Legal Function, lead, provide guidance and supervision of the EABL legal function and be responsible for ensuring provision of commercial and pragmatic legal advice and solutions for all aspects of EABL’s business.
- Provide direct line management support for 2 members of the EABL legal function and “dotted line” management support for 3 further team members.
- Being a member of the EABL Group Executive team and participating in strategic management decisions.
- Being a lead driver in ensuring that Diageo/EABL’s codes and policies are adhered to as well as driving sustainable behaviours where the local laws may be less rigorous than the codes and policies, including provision of on-point training.
- Management of specific key priority or high value issues as appropriate, including securities / capital markets issues, regulatory and anti-trust issues, coordinating IP matters with Diageo specialists, corporate governance matters, significant internal compliance issues, group-wide high value or complexity contracts, acquisitions and disposals, and material litigation.
- Supervising outsourced company secretarial supplier in managing and coordinating meetings of boards and board committees and general meetings.
- Responsible for ensuring good corporate governance, adequate understanding of legal matters including advising on best practice and providing training across a number of functions.
- With the assistance of the Controls, Compliance & Ethics function, being responsible for aspects of EABL’s compliance regime.
- Responsible for strategic ways of working to embed proactive and commercial legal support for EABL in particular in the context of rapidly evolving business.
- Prioritise and evaluate the best use of internal and external legal resources and manage spend accordingly.
- Select and agree terms of business with external lawyers and grow and drive best practice external legal service provision.
- Work closely with the Diageo legal function to take advantage of appropriate functional experience and support, including regular training for EABL legal function.
Desired Skills & Experience
- Formal legal qualifications and training as required by law to work as a legal practitioner, preferably in Kenya, the UK or USA.
- Strong corporate and commercial law background, preferably with experience of senior in-house practice at a multi-national corporate in addition to experience at a leading private practice law firm.
- High competence / expertise in the following legal areas – securities / capital markets, corporate M&A, commercial contracts, IP, employment, antitrust, litigation, corporate governance and anti-bribery / compliance.
- A track record of effectively managing a sizeable budget and team of lawyers, including line management experience and strong coaching and leadership skills.
- Strong analytical, drafting and negotiating skills.
- Open and outward looking attitude with strong inter-personal/communication skills.
- Ability to work confidently and stand ground with more senior managers and peers.
- Strong commercial and pragmatic approach.
- Ability to impact and influence upwards.
- At least 10 years post qualification experience as a lawyer.
Company Description
- EABL is the largest drinks company in the East African region and is listed on stock exchanges in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with 26k individual shareholders. Diageo plc, which itself is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York, retains a majority shareholding in EABL. EABL is a total adult beverage company with a range of spirits, beer and non-alcoholic drinks which has integrated supply and demand functions.
- EABL has a complex corporate structure, including wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures with third parties as well as with other companies within the Diageo group. Its principal wholly owned subsidiaries are Kenya Breweries Limited, Central Glass Industries Limited, East African Maltings Limited and EABL International Limited while its principal joint venture is Serengeti Breweries Limited. It is also the majority owner of Uganda Breweries Limited and is a minority shareholder in UDV Kenya Limited, whose majority shareholder is a Diageo group company.
- EABL operates within a multi-cultural, multi-national, multi-currency environment. EABL comprises integrated supply and demand businesses in Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya as well as exports businesses into South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and elsewhere.
- EABL has differing market shares in its beer and spirits businesses in different markets, which are therefore subject to a variety of regulatory regimes, some of which are more developed than others. This requires detailed understanding of the company’s different risk profiles and the context of each market and its regulatory environment.
- As part of a multi-national corporate group such as Diageo plc, EABL is subject to additional external and internal requirements than other local companies.
- Significant challenges arise from a sometimes unpredictable legislative and judicial system due in part insufficiency of legislation, untested law and often political and societal pressures.
Individuals with work authorisation (e.g. nationals or ancestry of Kenya, Uganda or Tanzania) are encouraged to apply.
Application deadline: 27th December 2012
Group Legal Counsel East African Breweries Ltd - Kenya
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