David Hampshire was responsible for the Guinness business in Africa from 1988 until his retirement from the position of chairman in 2005. He was a member of the Guinness Executive Board from 1993 until the merger of Guinness and UDV in September 2000 when he became the managing director of Diageo Africa. He merged the African spirits business with the brewing operations to form an integrated drinks business operating in 26 African countries, with over 4000 employees and a turnover of c. $1,000m.

In addition to serving as Chairman of Diageo Africa, Mr. Hampshire was Chairman of Guinness Ghana and Seychelles Breweries, Vice-Chairman of Guinness Nigeria, Deputy Chairman of East African Breweries, and a Director of Monrovia Breweries, Kenya Breweries, Uganda Breweries, Sierra Leone Breweries, Guinness Cameroon and Namibia Breweries. He negotiated the three way joint venture in South Africa with Heineken and Namibia Breweries to form ‘brandhouse’ which is now about to open its new brewery in South Africa, and was the first chairman. Mr. Hampshire is now a director of Africa Practice, the leading communications consultancy specialising in Africa, and on the boards of their subsidiaries in Kenya and Nigeria.