Mondelēz International, the global snacking giant behind brands such as Cadbury, OREO, Bournvita and Halls, has appointed Ayman Fahmy as managing director for West Africa, reinforcing the company’s expansion ambitions across one of Africa’s fastest-growing consumer markets.
The appointment, which took effect on May 15, 2026, places Fahmy at the centre of the company’s strategy to deepen market penetration, strengthen distribution networks, and accelerate growth across the region’s highly competitive fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.
In a statement signed by Frederick Mordi, head of corporate communications and government affairs, the company said Fahmy will oversee business operations across West Africa while also leading Cadbury Nigeria PLC, Mondelēz International’s listed Nigerian subsidiary.
Cadbury Nigeria manufactures several of the company’s flagship local products, including Cadbury Bournvita, Cadbury 3-in-1 Hot Chocolate Drink, TomTom, and Buttermint.
The leadership transition follows the interim stewardship of Folake Ogundipe, who had served as acting managing director prior to Fahmy’s appointment. Ogundipe will now resume her substantive position as financial director, continuing to support the operational and financial performance of the Nigerian business.
Fahmy brings more than 25 years of multinational FMCG experience spanning Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with a strong background in business transformation, market expansion, and distribution optimisation.
Prior to joining Mondelēz International, he served as general manager at Shan Foods, where he led operations across the Middle East, Levant, and Africa regions.
Before that, he built an extensive career at Reckitt Benckiser, serving as general manager for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Levant, and Southern and Central Africa markets. During his tenure, he reportedly drove growth through go-to-market restructuring, distributor expansion strategies, and long-term retailer partnerships.
His earlier career at Procter & Gamble also positioned him prominently within Africa’s FMCG landscape.
At Procter & Gamble, Fahmy rose to become commercial vice president for Nigeria, where he delivered double-digit business growth before taking responsibility for broader regional operations across the Arabian Peninsula and Pakistan.
The company said Fahmy possesses extensive expertise in operational setup, distribution transformation, organisational development, and multi-market business scaling.
According to Mondelēz International, his track record includes expanding distribution coverage in Egypt and building commercial teams across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Commenting on the appointment, Hisham Ezz El-Arab said the company expects Fahmy’s experience to strengthen its route-to-market execution and deepen consumer engagement across West Africa.
“Ayman brings the operational depth and commercial rigour we need to strengthen our route-to-market capabilities and engage more consumers with our products across West Africa,” Ezz El-Arab said.
“His appointment will advance our growth ambitions and solidify our category and snacking leadership across the dynamic West African market,” he added.
