‘I bring out the best in people’

•Oyeyemi

Kolawole Oyeyemi a marketing communication expert is the General Manager, Sales and Distribution Division, MTN. Oyeyemi who recently hit the golden jubilee age in this interview with Bukola Aroloye speaks on his career path, management style, philosophy and his interesting pastime. Excerpts:

Turning 50

I feel very grateful for four fundamental reasons: the first is gratitude for the gift of life. This is because in an environment where life expectancy is low, (46 by WHO report), to be alive and well; sound in spirit, soul and body at 50 years is a gift from God I am eternally grateful for. Secondly, I am grateful for the privilege of an early discovery of my purpose and a progressive movement in the direction of vision fulfilment. It is gratifying to know that I am not too far from the milestones on the journey. Thirdly, I am grateful for a most loving and supportive family, friends, colleagues and fellow travellers. Finally, I am eternally grateful for the humble achievements of having made some impacts in my chosen career, humanitarian pursuits and ministerial assignment.

Career trajectory

In the course of my career, I have been privileged to have won varying awards in marketing creativity, professionalism and knowledge share. I have also been instrumental to several awards won by my marketing communication agencies. I won the Cadbury Creativity Award in my days in Cadbury Schweppes and was also a part of the team that won the Marketing team award. I was awarded the Marketing Professional of the Year 2012 by Marketing World Awards. I was awarded the Brand Icon of the Year 2013 by Brand Age Nigeria. In 2014, I got the Marketing World Awards Lifetime Achievement Award in Marketing. In 2015, Marketing Edge conferred on me the Marketing Personality of the Year 2014. I have also won varying awards internally in my company.

I was fortunate to be a two term President of the Advertisers Association of Nigeria; a body made up of Marketing Directors and Heads of Marketing of advertiser companies in Nigeria responsible for over 80 per cent of Nigerian advertising budget. This platform gave me the opportunity to provide thought leadership in the Marketing and Marketing Communication industry in Nigeria

I have also authored six books including the first Marketing Book of its kind by an African, reviewed and catalogued by the US Library of Congress. This book: ‘Kill Or Get Killed; The Marketing Killer Instinct’ has been endorsed by the Marketing and Advertising Institutes in Nigeria and adopted as a text book for Marketing and Mass Communication students by two Nigerian universities. I have also been able to touch a number of students across Lagos and Rivers states with my Foundation: Ignite Africa Leadership Foundation focused on youths and the revival of the Reading Culture in Nigeria. The Foundation has over sixty book clubs, over four thousand books in stock and boasts of an ultra modern library facility open free to the public.

Philosophy

Please God; Fulfil Purpose; Impact lives. By all means, do not live quietly!

Management style

I see the best in people and so focus on extracting the best out of them as a route to delivering personal and corporate objectives. I challenge and stretch those who work with me to exceed their expressed capacities. If you are not driven, you won’t enjoy working with me.

Pastime

First, my transparency and sincerity is infectious. Integrity is not negotiable. Those who work with me know that. Secondly, diligence is scripturally demanded. I live by this rule and so those who work with me are challenged to do the same. Thirdly, ownership mindset; success at work demands an ownership mindset where work does not end when you close from your physical office

Toughest decision

It was saying ‘Yes to God’ to pastor a church. I did not want to be a Pastor or be responsible for other people’s spiritual wellbeing. This was in addition to the fact that I had a good job in a multinational company and so didn’t need to pastor to earn a living. I also felt that there were enough churches anyway? I ran from God for two years but ultimately had to say “Yes Lord!”

Most favourable decision

Becoming a born again Christian. It changed the dynamics and trajectory of my life irrevocably positively.

Unwinding

Travelling, driving, teaching, reading, watching movies and listening to music

Inspiration

God’s love. Family love. Work love. Music. Joyfulness and seeing people happy and knowing that somehow I am connected to their joy gives me the high.

Passion

If I wasn’t working with MTN, I think I would have naturally ended up in the academic environment as a lecturer.

Traded skills

I am a very robust commercial strategist with excellent skills in Marketing, Sales, Integrated Marketing disciplines of Advertising, Public Relations, Sponsorship and Events, Media and Media management. I am also a speaker, teacher, writer and author.

Serving as ADVAN president

It was a privilege and an opportunity to serve. It was an opportunity to fulfil a part of my life philosophy. Providing leadership to a team of highly skilled and respected professionals was a humbling experience and a learning opportunity. The art and science of negotiations amongst industry stakeholders to reach consensus on widely varied issues were very profoundly defining for me. I worked with some of the best minds the Marketing industry and Nigeria at large can boast of. I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve and to add value to the industry

Advice to new entrants in the industry

You must make a strategic choice early in your career. Do you want the quick money or you want to build a formidable profile? Doing the latter makes you a humble lifelong learner. The money may not come early but you won’t lack either. When you’ve built up a formidable equity, you can then price for it.

Advice to government

Fix the socio-economic fundamentals. Bring the real sector out of coma. Diversify our revenue base.  Plug leakages. Make real scapegoats of treasury looters. Communicate your efforts effectively.

Oyeyemi inside out

I was born in Ogbomoso, Oyo state. I attended Baptist Day School, Modakeke from where I proceeded to Saint David’s Modern School in Ife. I thereafter went to Christ Apostolic Church Grammar School, Akure from where I graduated in 1984. I spent one year at the Oyo State College of Arts and Science for my ‘A’-levels before proceeding to the then University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, where I graduated with a Second Class Upper Bachelor’s degree in English Studies in 1989. I went to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism for Post Graduate studies in Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations. I then attended various international business schools; Columbia Business School, New York; Cranfield, UK and Lagos Business School, Pan Atlantic University, Nigeria, for executive business education in Advanced Management, Strategy, Marketing, Sales and Leadership.

I began my career as a broadcaster with Kano State Broadcasting Corporation where I excelled and got the NYSC Recognition Award for exemplary performance in 1990 because of the innovation I brought to bear on my assignment at the broadcast station. I had a short stint with The Quadrant Company in 1991 where I was introduced to Public Relations practice. With a thirst to get into full Marketing Communication, I left The Quadrant Company to join Sunrise Marketing Communications in 1992. In 1996, I moved to Cadbury Nigeria Plc. as the Advertising Manager managing the Advertising and Promotions portfolio. Under two years in this role, I distinguished myself in the company and got the Creativity Award for innovation. A passion for full brand management saw me move into mainstream Marketing practice as Brand Manager for the company’s highest value brands- Knoor Cubes and Knoor Chicken Cubes. Again, I excelled and the brand under my watch sold the highest volume and delivered the highest value in its 20 years history then.

After this feat, I left to join MTN Nigeria Communications Limited as the Brand Manager, Business Market. I was behind the launch of several propositions and high impact sub brands before I was promoted into senior management to manage the MTN master brand and look after the sponsorship, events and media portfolio. I became General Manager, Consumer Marketing, and continued the string of excellent and creative brand management that led to many award winning Marketing and Marketing communication campaigns that grew both volume and value market share. During this era, the brand became the highest value brand in Nigeria and the Group brand the highest value brand in Africa.

I am currently in the Sales and Distribution division of the firm as the General Manager, Business Development with responsibility for developing strategies for business growth via both traditional and emerging channels, structures, systems, technologies and platforms to deliver business targets on market share and revenue.