From Nigerian Breweries to Amazon: Kemisola Oloriegbe’s Technology and Engineering Career Journey

In an interview with Naija News, a renowned technology and engineering expert, Kemisola Oloriegbe shared her career journey, from childhood fascination to establishing her company and working for global giants such as Amazon. Kemisola talked about her work at Nigerian Breweries, how it shaped her career, and the inspiration behind her establishment of Kegafoods. She also shared her experience of securing a position at Amazon before graduating from her MBA program and what it’s like to work for a global company like Amazon. Additionally, Kemisola talked about the impact of being a Queen Elizabeth Prize Ambassador for engineering on her career path.

What inspired you to pursue a career in technology and engineering?
Growing up, I was always fascinated by how things worked. I remember taking apart my toys to see what was inside. That curiosity led me to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering and later a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering. Through my studies, I discovered my passion for technology and engineering, and I knew I wanted to use that passion to impact the world positively.

Can you share your experience working for Nigerian Breweries and how it impacted your career?
Working for Nigerian Breweries, a Heineken Operating Company, was a turning point in my career and enabled me to acquire diverse skill sets, which has been instrumental to my career progression. I had the great opportunity to be exposed to various technologies within the manufacturing space. I led different projects and packaging solutions for the online delivery of products to millions of customers. This empowered me to hone my technology and engineering skills while positively impacting my fellow citizens’ lives by ensuring they had access to quality and safe beverages.

What motivated you to establish Kegafoods, and what are your goals for the company?
Establishing Kegafoods was a natural progression for me. I am passionate about food safety and its impact on people’s lives. Kegafoods was set up to improve people’s lives in developing countries by creating systems that would make it easier for small farmers to sell their products online and provide digital resources and tools to SMEs to run their business operations efficiently and reach various customers. Since its inception, we have supported twelve startups with relevant digital business processes and how to scale their business using technology.

How did you secure a position at Amazon before graduating from your MBA program?
One of my career goals was to acquire an MBA degree. In 2020, I summoned the courage to achieve this long-term dream and moved to the UK for my graduate study. I received an offer from Amazon to lead operations for one of their automated robotic centres. It was an incredible opportunity to be offered a position at Amazon before graduating from my MBA program. It was a cumulation of several factors related to previous work experience and qualifications. I am also thankful for the role of mentoring in my career, the pursuit of continuous professional development, and community engagements.

What is it like working for a global company like Amazon?
It is a great experience to be part of a community with the brightest and most innovative people from diverse backgrounds worldwide, creating new products and services. There is never an end to learning new things and using data and technology to solve problems. These pioneer revolutionary solutions were non-existent and innovated continuously on behalf of the customers.

Can you share your experience as a Queen Elizabeth Prize Ambassador for engineering and how it has influenced your career path?
Being a Queen Elizabeth Prize Ambassador for engineering was a great honour and a privilege. It allowed me to represent the academy at schools to talk.