JLR Appoints New Brand Managers

JLR South Africa is proud to announce the appointment of two new brand managers to lead the British marque’s luxury brands in South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), including the evolution of Jaguar into an all-electric brand from 2025.

Irene Kakooza, currently Communications Manager at JLR South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa, will assume a more focused role as Brand Manager for Range Rover and Jaguar. In addition to maintaining Range Rover’s segment leader position, Kakooza will champion the local transition of Jaguar into the electric age.

Janico Dannhauser, currently Product and Pricing Manager for South Africa and Sub-Sahara Africa at JLR, takes the reins as Brand Manager for Defender and Discovery to chart a growth path for JLR’s adventure and family SUV brands in the local market and SSA.

JLR’s ‘House of Brands’ strategy presents four distinct and emotionally-engaging brands – Jaguar, Range Rover, Defender and Discovery. The appointed brand managers will bring to life each brand’s distinctive identity, whether it’s adventures in Defender, family trips in Discovery, refined luxury of Range Rover or self-expression in Jaguar.

Richard Gouverneur, JLR South Africa & Sub-Sahara Africa Managing Director, said: “Each of our four luxury brands embody a distinct personality that requires an equally distinct approach in the interpretation of how our Reimagine strategy applies to them. The appointment of Irene and Janico in their new roles allows us to draw on their varied experience and skill sets to bring to life each brand’s distinctive identity and mould them for a sustainable future in a new modern luxury era. Being at the cusp of the electric revolution in most of our markets on the continent, they have a clean slate on which to express their ideas for their respective brands.”

Kakooza’s tenure at JLR spans more than 10 years, having held various positions, including Communications Manager, Regional Business Manager, Franchise Manager and Experiential Manager. Through her varied journey within JLR, she has honed the skill set and deep understanding required to compete successfully in various markets across Sub-Sahara Africa.

With close to two decades’ experience in the automotive sector, Dannhauser has a wealth of experience that has seen him serve in product planning roles for multiple brands, with the past 10 years spent as Product and Pricing Manager in the premium segment. He also serves on the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (naamsa) EV subcommittee, the advisory arm of the automotive business council aimed at negotiating pathways for NEV policy transformation locally.

Gouverneur said: “The brand managers have the full backing of all our colleagues at JLR in the execution of the challenging task of charting divergent paths for their respective brands that lead to a common goal of creating a sustainable modern luxury house of brands.”