Patrick Tognisso

Patrick is a seasoned Business Leader with more than 20 years of experience in food and beverage in FMCG blue chip companies. Currently based in Ivory Coast, Patrick is serving as Home Care Division Director for Unilever West Africa, covering Nigeria, Ghana and Francophone Africa. As such, he is responsible for managing revenues, developing portfolio and brands for one of Unilever’s biggest business categories.
Before joining Unilever, Patrick worked as Key Account and Business Development Director with Tetra Pak West Africa, the leading carton packaging provider, based in Lagos. During his time at Tetra Pak, he supported product development and manufacturing capability for successful local dairy and beverage businesses like Chi in Nigeria and Kirène in Senegal, as well as for established multinationals such as Danone or Coca-Cola. He also supported regional entrepreneurs setting up greenfield manufacturing projects. Prior to that, Patrick had held various regional and local commercial and marketing roles in leading CPG companies like Philip Morris or Diageo, in France, UK, Switzerland and West Africa.
Patrick holds a Master’s in Management from ESCP Europe. Working with top players in their respective industries, he developed first-hand business skills including strategic planning, brand and sales management, consumer insight generation, route to market and product development. A supporter of upcoming African small businesses, he’s a member of the Dakar Business Angel Network (DNA) and is regularly doing advisory for local Start-ups. A Benin and French National, he has travelled extensively, developing along the way a collaborative and effective leadership style rooted in his deep understanding of both African and Western (corporate) cultures. Patrick is passionate about music and sports, trained in martial arts and in recent years took to tennis and yoga. He currently resides in Cote d’Ivoire with his family.