Diageo has promoted Lazola Sikupela to Human Resources Director for Africa, giving her responsibility for the company’s people strategy across its African markets.
Sikupela’s elevation marks a broader leadership mandate after several years of progression through Diageo’s human resources function, where she has worked across talent management, skills development, employment equity, commercial HR and business partnering.
According to Brandspur Brand News, Sikupela previously served as Human Resources Director for South Africa before taking on the wider African assignment. She has also held the position of Global Commercial HR Business Partner, giving her experience beyond a single national market.
Her career at Diageo began in Cape Town as a talent specialist before she moved into junior HR business partnering in Johannesburg. She subsequently handled skills development and employment equity, followed by commercial and marketing HR responsibilities.
Diageo’s South, West and Central Africa business previously highlighted Sikupela’s progression from graduate to director, noting her work on inclusion and diversity as well as talent and capability programmes that were adopted more widely across the company.
Before joining Diageo, Sikupela worked at Status Staffing as an account executive, with responsibilities including recruitment and headhunting. She also completed a human resources graduate programme at Visa in Cape Town.
Her new role puts her in charge of a wider workforce agenda spanning African markets, with her experience across commercial operations, talent and organisational development providing the foundation for the continental assignment.
