Jane Karuku has become one of East Africa’s most influential corporate leaders. As the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of East African Breweries Limited (EABL) since January 2021, she leads one of the region’s largest and most iconic manufacturing companies, with a footprint in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Sudan. Her leadership has blended business growth with sustainability and inclusion, shaping not just EABL but the broader corporate landscape.
Her academic foundation is rooted in science and business. She studied Food Science and Technology at the University of Nairobi and later pursued a Master of Business Administration at the National University in California. Her professional journey began at Farmers Choice and Kenya Cooperative Creameries before moving into leadership roles at Cadbury East and Central Africa. She went on to serve as Deputy Chief Executive and Secretary General of Telkom Kenya and later as President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), where she championed agricultural development and food security across the continent.
At EABL, Karuku has steered the company toward sustainable growth. She has overseen investments in renewable energy, including 5.1 billion shillings directed to biomass plants in Kenya and Uganda to cut carbon emissions. Through the “Grain to Glass” sustainability model, she has deepened local sourcing, strengthened partnerships with smallholder farmers, and embedded environmental responsibility into the company’s operations. Water, sanitation, and hygiene programs have also expanded under her leadership, reaching hundreds of thousands of people.
Karuku is equally passionate about gender equality and inclusion. She has championed initiatives to increase the number of women in leadership, strengthen mentorship programs, and embed progressive workplace policies on parental leave and diversity. Her goal is to see equal representation of women in senior roles at EABL by 2030, a target she actively drives through organizational culture and policy.
Her leadership extended beyond the corporate world during the COVID-19 pandemic when she chaired Kenya’s Emergency Response Fund, mobilizing resources for healthcare and vulnerable communities. Today she also chairs the Vision 2030 Board and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers, where she is driving industrialization, job creation, and improved competitiveness for the manufacturing sector.
What sets Karuku apart is her ability to blend results with purpose. She believes that leadership is not only about profit but about credibility, listening, and influence. Under her stewardship, EABL has grown its economic contributions through taxes, employment, and market opportunities for farmers, while also setting benchmarks for sustainable business in Africa.
Jane Karuku is more than a business executive. She is a leader redefining the role of corporations in society, proving that profitability, sustainability, and inclusion can coexist. Her impact is shaping not just industries but also communities and the future of corporate leadership in Africa.
