The seven-year EABL veteran now works on the technical side of the brewer’s spirits and ready-to-drink pipeline.
Caroline Makau has been appointed Liquid Scientist – Spirits & RTD at East African Breweries PLC (EABL). The role gives her a more specialised technical remit after seven years with the brewer.
Makau announced the move on LinkedIn, saying she started the position in September 2026. She will develop complex technical solutions for EABL’s regional product pipeline. Her work will run from early-stage creative concepts and optimisation through to production processes.
From brand change to the lab
Makau previously served as Brand Change Lead, a role she held from August 2021. She led technical development projects across spirits, ready-to-drink (RTD) products, cocktails, beer, ciders and non-alcoholic beverages. Each project ran from concept through commercialisation and launch.
Her remit also covered recipe management, regulatory assurance, risk assessment and process specifications. She supported the commissioning and validation of new products at manufacturing sites.
A career built in quality
Makau joined EABL in 2019 as a Quality Team Lead. She became Quality Manager at UDV Kenya before moving into the wider innovation and brand-change function.
Before EABL, she spent almost four years at Mars in quality, food safety and distribution roles. Her work covered several sub-Saharan African markets, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda and Burundi.
Her technical credentials include a Certificate in Brewing Process Technology from the University of Nottingham, completed with distinction in 2024. She also holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) qualification.
Why it matters
The move puts Makau closer to formulation and production at a time when RTD drinks are gaining ground across Africa. Brewers are leaning on technical teams to turn changing consumer tastes into products that can be made at scale.
Makau has also been linked to EABL’s consumer-focused innovation work. After The New Pour Summit ’26, she wrote that culture and community shape what consumers choose. She cited Manyatta and Kenya Cane Lemon & Ginger as examples of products responding to changing drinking occasions.
EABL recently promoted Kanyi Kiuru to Senior Innovation Manager, another innovation executive who spoke at the summit.
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