LEONARD EBUTE
Food Concepts Plc
Lagos,Lagos State
Overview
Board-facing Chief Operating Officer and General Manager with over 18 years of executive leadership driving operational control, P&L expansion, continuous-process industrial plant operations, and multi-country supply chain architecture across Sub-Saharan Africa. Proven authority in translating Board and Executive Management mandates into scalable operating platforms, establishing strict working-capital discipline, and optimizing multi-site equipment uptime and reliability across FMCG, industrial, medical gas, and processing environments. Track record includes generating over ₦3 Billion in direct unit-cost performance improvements, scaling regional revenues over 10x, and executing complex greenfield/brownfield plant setups. Expert in operational risk mitigation, safety culture & HSE compliance, regulatory alignment, enterprise SAP deployment, and driving productivity drivers across 200+ headcount operational teams.
20+
Years of experience
Work History
01.2014 - 01.20162 Years
Head of Supply Chain (West, East & Central Africa)
Kimberly-Clark SSA | Lagos , Lagos State
- Capital Project Execution & Plant Setup: Led the end-to-end supply chain and procurement workstream for a multi-million-dollar manufacturing plant setup in Nigeria, coordinating CAPEX import clearance, raw material pipelines, and equipment operational readiness.
- Regional Trade Expansion & Inventory Control: Scaled regional export operations from 0% to over 60% of total output across 18 African markets within 2 years while preserving strict inventory controls and regional supply continuity.
- Enterprise ERP Deployment: Implemented SAP-enabled supply chain protocols across 18 regional markets, deploying real-time tracking systems, operational dashboards, and rigid performance metrics.
- Cross-Functional Team Capability: Directed and mentored a 46-member regional team, advancing S&OP integration, root cause analysis, and vendor risk mitigation across complex operating footprints.
01.2013 - 01.20163 Years
Head of Procurement (North & East Africa)
Sanofi Aventis | Casablanca
- Multi-Country Strategic Sourcing: Formulated and executed regional procurement strategies across 10 countries, delivering 15%+ in direct unit-cost reductions while protecting supply continuity.
- Vendor Governance & Risk Audits: Executed comprehensive supplier performance audits, risk mitigation assessments, and contractual renegotiations to enforce strict corporate governance standards.
- Executed supplier performance audits, risk mitigation assessments, and contractual renegotiations to enforce corporate governance standards, enhancing supplier reliability.
- Cross-Functional Compliance: Standardized procurement policies across regional operating units, bringing local operating practices into full alignment with global corporate governance and regulatory guidelines.
04.2024 - Current2 Years 6 Months
Divisional Managing Director, Supply Chain
Food Concepts Plc | Lagos , Lagos State
- Enterprise P&L & Cost Governance: Delivered over ₦3 Billion in bottom-line operating value within 8 months by restructuring primary vendor contracts, enforcing working-capital discipline, and optimizing unit-cost performance across multi-site operations.
- Digital Transformation & Internal Controls: Executed 4-month enterprise integration of SAP-driven operating platform, establishing real-time production tracking, enhancing inventory precision, and reinforcing institutional governance.
- Operational Continuity & Asset Uptime: Maintained 100% operational uptime and product availability across all manufacturing, processing, and retail channels during peak demand cycles, eliminating bottlenecks and driving customer satisfaction.
- Executive Leadership & HSE Governance: Directed 200+ headcount operational organization across 7 functional departments, implementing robust SOPs and safety/HSE protocols while establishing board-level KPI reporting frameworks.
11.2019 - 01.20233 Years 2 Months
Country Manager (Nigeria) / General Manager (West
Lori Systems Limited | Lagos , Lagos State
- Commercial Scale & Revenue Growth: Expanded regional business volume from $2.4M to $30M within 24 months (over 10x growth) by driving aggressive market development and establishing scalable freight operations.
- P&L & Capital Deployment: Managed multi-country P&L and capital budgets, achieving 15% reduction in operating costs and quadrupling revenue per capita.
- Operating Model Restructuring: Re-engineered regional workflows and reporting lines, enhancing commercial execution to achieve 100% lift in operational performance within 60 days.
- Board Alignment & Institutional Governance: Led cross-functional teams in sales, operations, finance, and supply chain, ensuring effective Board reporting and regulatory compliance while strengthening senior stakeholder relationships.
01.2016 - 01.20182 Years
Chief Operating Officer
Crest-Agro Products | Lokoja, Kogi State
- Greenfield Plant Setup & Operational Readiness: Led commercial transformation from incubation to full operational viability by managing processing plant layouts, selecting technical equipment, commissioning, and ensuring factory line readiness.
- P&L Management & Unit-Cost Performance: Re-engineered raw material sourcing, procurement, and plant workflows, significantly lowering unit operating costs, material waste, and fixed overheads.
- Equipment Reliability & Asset Uptime: Partnered with engineering and technical teams to institute preventive maintenance regimes, maximizing processing plant capacity utilization and minimizing unscheduled downtime.
- HSE, Safety Culture & Regulatory Compliance: Developed institutional quality assurance frameworks, SOPs, and root cause analysis protocols to enhance safety culture and ensure regulatory compliance.
01.2007 - 01.20136 Years
Team Lead, Inbound Material Management & Sourcing
Nestle Nigeria Plc | Lagos, Lagos State
- Capital Protection & Cost Avoidance: Generated $6 Million in capital cost avoidance by designing and implementing inbound material management frameworks for raw, packaging, and engineering spend.
- Category Sourcing & Unit-Cost Savings: Secured $2 Million in annual procurement savings across assigned categories through total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) modeling and strategic supplier negotiations.
- Led and developed team of 6 material buyers, enhancing purchasing responsiveness, order fulfillment accuracy, and Procure-to-Pay (P2P) compliance.
- Primary Distribution Architecture: Architected primary logistics and supply chain network solutions for core manufacturing plants and distribution centers, capturing CHF 6.2 Million in structural savings.
Education
Executive MBA | Business Administration / Executive Leadership
Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University) | Lagos, Nigeria | 01-2013
Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University) - Lagos, Nigeria
01-2013
Full Member (MCIPS) | Strategic Sourcing & Supply Chain Management
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS- | United KIngdom | 01-2010
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS- - United KIngdom
01-2010
Master of Science | Economics (Best Graduating Student, Second Class U
University of Jos | Jos, Nigeria | 01-2005
University of Jos - Jos, Nigeria
01-2005
Skills
Social Impact Interests
- Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Regional Economic Blueprint Advisory: Strategic advisor on state-level economic development frameworks (Benue, Lagos, Kogi), formulating regional industrial growth strategies, public-private partnership models, and trade policy alignment.
- Local Capability Development & Youth Empowerment: Sponsor of regional technical skills initiatives across West Africa, focusing on training local talent in industrial safety standards, supply chain operations, and equipment maintenance.
- Industrial Safety Culture & Environmental Governance: Advocate for environmental compliance and health, safety, and environmental (HSE) standards across Sub-Saharan African manufacturing and logistics networks.
References
Reference 1
- Name: Ngozi Aghomi
- Title: Supply Chain Director
- Company: Guinness Ghana
- Email: ngoziaghomi@gmail.com
Reference 2
- Name: Adewale Ojo
- Title: Director, Manufacturing Business Unit
- Company: JOF Nigeria Limited
- Email: Ojocfbc@yahoo.com
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Timeline
Divisional Managing Director, Supply Chain
Food Concepts Plc
04.2024 - CurrentRead more
Country Manager (Nigeria) / General Manager (West
Lori Systems Limited
11.2019 - 01.2023Read more
Chief Operating Officer
Crest-Agro Products
01.2016 - 01.2018Read more
Head of Supply Chain (West, East & Central Africa)
Kimberly-Clark SSA
01.2014 - 01.2016Read more
Head of Procurement (North & East Africa)
Sanofi Aventis
01.2013 - 01.2016Read more
Team Lead, Inbound Material Management & Sourcing
Nestle Nigeria Plc
01.2007 - 01.2013Read more
Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University) - Executive MBA, Business Administration / Executive Leadership
Read more
Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS- - Full Member (MCIPS), Strategic Sourcing & Supply Chain Management
Read more
University of Jos - Master of Science, Economics (Best Graduating Student, Second Class U
Read more