Nesibu Temesgen makes history as Unilever Ethiopia’s first local GM

Temesgen succeeds George Owusu-Ansah, a Ghanaian national, who has retired but remains on the board of Unilever Ghana. 

Previously in the role of CD Director for Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, Temesgen has been with Unilever Ethiopia for nine years. Previous roles within the company include Senior Sales Manager – Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia, and National Sales Manager. 

He has also been Trade Marketing Manager for Heineken in Ethiopia and National Sales Manager for Tiger Brands in the country. Prior to that, he worked in the academic world and holds undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in marketing management from Addis Ababa University. 

Unilever employs around 7,000 people in Ethiopia 

Unilever began operating in Ethiopia in 2014 and produces brands such as Lifebuoy, Omo, Knorr, Sunlight and Signal. According to the news publication Addis Fortune, Unilever employs around 7,000 people in the country. 

The publication reports that Temesgen plans to diversify the company’s offerings and adapt existing products to evolving market demands.  

He aims to focus on expanding distribution channels and introducing new product lines. Unilever Ethiopia will import select products from Unilever’s global sourcing units, with plans to explore local production later. 

Comments Ethiopian Business Review: “Now, the challenge for Ethiopia’s first Unilever GM will be to navigate inflationary pressures, shifting consumer preferences, and rising competition while driving innovation in household brands like Sunlight, Omo and Blue Band.” 

In February 2025, Coca-Cola Beverages Africa made local headlines when it appointed Melkamu Abebe as its new Managing Director in Ethiopia. He became the first Ethiopian to take up the position.