BAT WCA - Okasha Salia

Salia is the General Manager for West and Central Africa Markets (WCM), where he leads the business and growth strategy for the patch. He began his career with BAT in 2006 as a Trade Marketing Representative in Northern Ghana and has since built an impressive track record across Marketing, Trade Marketing & Distribution (TM&D), Project Management, and General Management. His extensive experience spans multiple markets in West & Central Africa and the Caribbean.

In 2013, Salia was appointed Country Manager for Niger, followed by roles as Brand Manager for International Value-for-Money (VFM) in 2015 and Country Manager for Burkina Faso later that year. He returned to Nigeria in 2018 as Planning Manager for West & Central Africa within the Strategic Planning & Insights unit. In 2021, Salia took on an international assignment as Head of Trade for the West Indian Tobacco Company Ltd in Trinidad & Tobago, where he led transformative initiatives before returning in January 2023 as Transformation Projects Manager for West & Central Africa.

Appointed General Manager for WCM in August 2024, Salia brings a wealth of experience, a commitment to innovation, and a passion for people to drive success in the cluster. His career is defined by delivering impactful results in dynamic and challenging environments.

A Chartered Marketing Professional, Salia holds an Executive MBA in General Management from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana. Outside of work, he enjoys playing football, hiking, and traveling the world. Salia is married with three children.