Our Management

SOLA OKE
Chief Executive Officer, Pernod Ricard Africa 

Prior to being CEO of Pernod Ricard Africa, Sola held multiple roles at Pernod Ricard over the last ten years. His most recent role was Managing Director for Pernod Ricard Nigeria and Western Africa. Sola's strategic insight and leadership have played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth across the Africa region. 

In addition to his extensive industry experience, Sola also has a master's degree from the University of Manchester and Cardiff Business School. 

PAMELA NKUNA 
Corporate Affairs Director – Pernod Ricard Africa Middle East 

Pamela is responsible for Public Affairs, Sustainability & Responsibility and Communications at Pernod Ricard across the company’s Africa Middle East affiliates. Pamela has worked in the alcohol industry for just over 12 years, and she is a subject matter expert on a variety of topics.

These include Regulatory matters, Stakeholder Engagement with National, Provincial and Local Governments, Civil Society and NGOs. She also has extensive experience in Internal and External Communications as well as ESG. She is a subject matter expert on Harm Reduction around Binge Drinking, Road Safety, Underage Drinking, Sustainability, Entrepreneurship, Social Norm, Behavioral change and Illicit Trade. Pamela holds a Paralegal Diploma cum laude as well as an LLB Degree.

SHIREEN MAHARAJ 
Human Resources Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa 

Shireen started her career at SA Express Airways, working within their Operations Division before she moved to Human Resources. She then spent 13 years with Johnson & Johnson; first supporting their pharmaceutical business Janssen, before moving to Johnson & Johnson Medical as the Human Resources Director in 2009.

Shireen joined the Pernod Ricard Group in 2016 in her current capacity as Human Resources Director for Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Shireen holds a BA Honours degree in Psychology from the University of KwaZulu Natal and a BA Honours degree in Human Resources Development from the University of Johannesburg.

BEN OJWANG 
Operations Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa 

Ben has held a myriad of senior roles within the supply chain across various FMCG’s companies including Coca-Cola, Diageo and SAB/ Ab-inbev where he was Logistics Director for South Africa before joining Pernod Ricard as Operations Director South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in May 2019. 

Ben holds a Bachelor of Commerce Honours degree from the University of Natal.

SHERMAN MOUTON  
Commercial Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa  

Sherman Mouton started his career in 1998 at ABInbev, holding various roles in Marketing, prior to moving to Philip Morris International in 2009, where he spent a further 3 years as Head of Trade Marketing for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

He joined Pernod Ricard South Africa in 2012 as the Trade Marketing Manager, moving to the Head of Retail role in 2015 and then to the position of Channel Director Off Trade in March 2017. In April 2021, he assumed his current position as Commercial Director for Pernod Ricard South Africa.

Sherman has a Marketing qualification from Cape Town University of Technology and has completed a Management Development program with the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business.

GAETAN MAGDELAIN
Chief Financial Officer, Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa 

After internships in due diligence and risk management at firms in London and New York, followed by one year as an Officer in the French Navy, Gaetan started his career in financial restructuring services within KPMG in Berlin and then Ernst & Young in Paris.

He joined Pernod Ricard in 2012 as a Senior Financial Analyst before moving to Internal Audit. In 2017, Gaetan became Head of Finance for PR Ghana/West Africa in Accra and relocated with his family to Lagos in 2020 to take on broader responsibilities as Finance Director PR Western Africa (including PR Nigeria, PR Ghana, and other West-Africa third-party markets). He was promoted to Chief Financial Officer Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa in March 2022.    

Gaetan holds a Master’s degree from ESCP Europe business school in France, a MSc in Management from City University (London), and the Diplom-Kaufmann (Germany).

NTHABISENG MOTSOENENG
Marketing Director, Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa 

Nthabiseng is a self-starter who has built strong relationships with key stakeholders in the industry. She has over 20 years of diverse experience in marketing and has held various roles within multinational and local companies in the FMCG, beverages, and alcohol industry.

She joined Pernod Ricard in September 2021 and is responsible for sparking the magic of conviviality with consumers in South Africa and across Sub-Saharan African markets, supported by a diverse marketing team of African convivialists.

Her key strengths are in business development, with a proven track record of turning around brands in decline, portfolio strategy development, transformative innovation, and a passion for unleashing the creative potential of unlikely collaborations. She’s also incredibly by purposeful marketing, which she uses to achieve authentic social & cultural influence for brands while impacting communities and the environment.

Nthabiseng holds a degree in Marketing Communications and Industrial Psychology from the University of Johannesburg.

BRENDAN COOGAN
Chief Transformation Officer, Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa 

Brendan took up the role of Chief Transformation Officer, reporting into the CEO of Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, after moving across from his role as Regional Director of Pernod Ricard Pacific Travel Retail. He is a member of the Pernod Ricard South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa Management Committees.

Brendan is responsible for developing and executing Pernod Ricard South Africa’s transformation strategy to support the business agenda, partnering with senior business leaders and teams to identify opportunities. He will focus on four key functions: Business Strategy, Sales Transformation, Augmented Profitability, and Data and Insights.

Brendan brings 16 years of experience in the international environment. He has worked in various private equity and multinational FMCG companies, including KraftHeinz, nudie Foods, and Accolade Wines, as well as Pernod Ricard Australia and Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail.

Brendan holds a Bachelor of Business Marketing from the University of Western Sydney, and an Advanced Diploma of Business (Marketing) from TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute

DAVID LANGLOIS
Managing Director of Classic and Third-Party markets in Africa

David has been part of the Pernod Ricard family for more than two decades, holding a variety of positions in offices across the globe. David joined Pernod Ricard in 2003, initially as an International Key Account Manager. He quickly proved himself to be an indispensable part of the Group and was subsequently appointed Commercial Development Director for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2014.

David was the Managing Director of Pernod Ricard’s operations in Nigeria for three and a half years. In his current role as Managing Director of Classic and Third-Party Markets in Africa, David is responsible for Pernod Ricard Africa’s affiliates in Angola, Cameroon, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, La Réunion, Mozambique, Morocco and Zambia.

David holds degrees from the Institut des Hautes Etudes Economiques et Commerciales and INSEAD and is proficient in English, German and Russian.

GARTH WATSON
Managing Director Inverroche

Garth’s journey with Pernod Ricard began in 2012 when he joined the Créateurs de convivialité as the Head of Business Analysis. From there he built his career through his passion for strategic business development and financial analysis. Today he serves as the Managing Director of Pernod Ricard’s premium African craft gin brand Inverroche, sold in more than 15 countries globally.

Garth’s experience with small enterprises and large multinationals has made him a valuable asset to Pernod Ricard Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Stellenbosch as well as an advanced diploma in management accounting from the Chartered Institute for Management Accountants.