Over the years, they have helped to build and manage great brands. They are also the faces behind great advertising campaigns and reputation management of many organisations. New Telegraph unveils these guru
Bunmi Oke,
Managing Director/CEO, 141 Worldwide
141 Worldwide, one of the top-flight advertising agency in Nigeria, run by Bunmi, who started her career at Grant Advertising (McCann-Erickson affiliate) in 1986, where she worked as a PR Executive/Account Management trainee, before moving to LTC – (now JWT) advertising in 1989, where her exceptional organisational and presentation skills culminated in her rising through the ranks to become the first female Client Service Director. An alumnus of the University of Lagos, Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos and Holy Child College, Obalende, Lagos, her close to 30 years in the industry has seen her rise to the top of the ladder. She has an impressive profile as the 17th and 2nd female President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), having served as an Executive and Vice President of AAAN Board. She is the only practicing female fellow of APCON amongst the four women in Nigeria, who have attained this level. She was a delegate to the National Conference in Abuja, Nigeria.
Lolu Akinwunmi,
Group Chief Executive Officer, Prima Garnet Group
A Fellow of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Mr Akinwunmi has served the regulatory body in different capacities, including Member of the Governing Council for several years. He is also Fellow, National Council of Marketing of Nigeria; Member, Institute of Directors; Member, International Advertising Association and Member, Board of Trustees, the Olive Bloom Orphanage. He served as member of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) and a pioneer Chief Executive Officer, Federal Government Rebranding Project Business Group; immediate past President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN); Board member, Ogilvy Africa BV and has remained the Group Chief Executive Officer, Prima Garnet Group. Akinwunmi succeded Chris Doghudje as APCON chairman. He was born in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State on September 27, 1958 and attended Comprehensive High School Aiyetoro, Ogun State, as well as The Polytechnic, Ibadan and the University of Lagos.
Udeme Ufot
Group Managing Director, SO&U
One of Nigeria’s most influential advertising practitioners, Udeme studied industrial design and specialised in graphic design at the Ahmadu Bello University where he graduated. He began his advertising career as an art director with Desmark Advertising, where his unique illustrative style and flair for writing quickly drew attention. He soon joined Insight Communications where he also showed a flair for client service work, rising to be Deputy Creative Director in the five years he spent with the agency. Following an agency attachment course with German Saatchi and Saatchi affiliate – Scholz and Friends, he returned home with a burning desire to redefine existing templates. He co-founded SO&U in 1990 – with a vision to be the most creative agency in Nigeria within two years. With close to three decades of marketing communications experience under his belt, Udeme was a past president of both the Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) now Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and the Lagos Business School Alumni Association. He is also a board member of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
Kelechi Nwosu
Managing Director, TBWA\Concept
Nwosu, who is also the incumbent president, AAAN, has spent the greater chunk of his youth conceptualising and executing-award winning campaigns. He is one of the key architects of the growth of TBWA\Concept in the last decade. His determination to take TBWA\Concept to its rightful place of the world map of advertising has seen him expand relationships within the TBWA\ network across the region. He started his career over 20 years ago and has experience in marketing communication having worked with clients such as MTN, Motorola, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Visa, UAC of Nigeria and at least 20 other blue chip companies nationally as well as Pan-Africa. His professional career has spanned Channels Television, Zepol Advertising and LTC/JWT and he has also attended courses at INSEAD in addition to holding a Masters in Mass Communication specialising in advertising and public relations.
Doyin Adewunmi
Managing Director, Creativexone
Barely four years in operation, Adewunmi has driven Creativexone to a point of reference in the industry. An associate member of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Adewumi, who joined Centrespread then known as CentrespreadFCB, in 1991 as a copywriter, is a Mass Communications graduate of the University of Lagos. He subsequently rose through the ranks and later became the managing director, the position he held for two years before setting up Creativexone alongside Sola Adegborioye, who was also at Centrespread.
Sir Steve
Bamidele Omajafor, Group Chairman, STB-Mccann
He broke the age-old jinx in the Nigerian advertising sector by becoming the first Nigerian advertising practitioner to be conferred with the prestigious national award of the Order Of the Niger (OON). Born on 6th January, 1946, in Lagos Nigeria, Omojafor was a former journalist, co-founder Rosabel Advertising in 1978. He is not only the Chairman of this big advertising agency; he had served as the President, Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN). He was former Vice President, International Advertising Association, IAA Nigeria Chapter. He is a member of Nigeria Institute of Marketing (NIMARK) and Council member, APCON. His uprightness earned him a PAPAL Knight of the Order of St. Sylvester. A widely traveled man among other qualifications and trainings, he graduated with BA Mass Communication, specialising in marketing communication from University of Lagos, Akoka in 1972.
Segun Adewale
Group Managing Director/CEO, 24/7 Communications
An advertising guru and brand specialist, with 23 years record of un-broken service in advertising in Nigeria, Segun has worked on virtually all multinational brands in the FMCGs and telecoms sectors. One of his greatest experiences was working on the Econet mobile while at CentreSpread Advertising as account manager. Also, at Unilever he brought the idea of taking BlueBand from tin to plastic among other many other experiences.
Funmi Onabolu,
Managing Director, Cosse TTL Limited
Armed with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ife, Nigeria in 1978, Funmi Onabolu has had and impressive and extensive career spanning broadcasting and marketing communications. He had a brief stint at NTA Abeokuta as Presenter/Producer between 1979 and 1980 and was also a pioneer staff at Lagos Television, Ikeja, Nigeria where he worked as Producer, Presenter and Newscaster. Onabolu went into advertising in January 1982, working with Insight Communications where he became the first General Manager and Chief Operating Officer of the company in 1989 and was invited to the board in 1991. He rose to the position of Executive Director and left in June 1995 to become the founder of Bates Cosse. Onabolu, who serves on APCON Financial Committee and on the board of AAPN in many capacities since 1986, is a fellow of the advertising profession, member of the International Institute of Marketing, International Special Event Society. He is also on the Board of Trustees of Culture Conservation Foundation of Nigeria and National Association of Tour Operators (NATOP). He was a past President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN).
Hakeem Adenekan,
Managing Director/ CEO, Commstrat Associates Limited
Adenekan holds an MBA from the Lagos State University, among other professional qualifications. He had his formative years in Mushin, Lagos and Abeokuta and attended the Islamic Mission Primary School, Ishaga, along Itire Road, Mushin; and Premier Grammar School, Abeokuta. He later had his Higher National Diploma in Mass Communications at the Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic). He had worked with numerous advertising firms such as Centrespread FCB Advertising Ltd, Campaign Palace Advertising Limited, LTC J. Walter Thomson Advertising, among others, before he started the Commstrat Associates Group comprising Commstrat Brand Communication; Commstrat PR and Evagrin Konsepts Ltd.
Jimi Awosika,
Managing Director, Insight Communications
His professional career started with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) where he worked as a sub-editor. By 1977, the challenge of advertising attracted him to Grant Advertising where he started as an Account Executive. Recognising his penchant for hard work and attention to strategic details, that Agency turned over its major accounts to him to service until he left to co-found Insight in 1980. He has undergone vigorous training programmes in various places across the globe and is recognised in the industry as a sound practitioner, who has contributed papers and practical demonstrations to the education of younger generations of advertising professionals. Awosika is Vice Chairman of Troyka, West Africa’s biggest marketing communications group. Jimi brings to his position over 36 years experience in advertising working mainly in accounts management, strategy and creative. Along with his colleagues, he has helped to build Insight Communications into the biggest and most awarded creative agency in Nigeria and West Africa; winning several laurels the world over.
Lanre Adisa,
Managing Director/Executive Creative Director, Noah’s Ark Communications
Adisa, whose agency emerged the first creative agency in Nigeria to be recognised by Cannes Lions, is a highly accomplished Creative Leader, who has groomed many young creative talent in a career spanning about two decades. More importantly, he has been instrumental to the growth of some of Nigeria’s major brands. Adisa had worked at Insight as Associate Creative Director, TBWA/Concept, Executive Creative Director and Waseet/Adwise Nigeria as Executive Director.
Steve Babaeko,
Chief Executive Officer, X3M Ideas
Babaeko joined 141 Worldwide from inception in 2005, where he worked for seven years as a creative director before floating X3M Ideas. Babaeko, had also had a five-year stint at Prima Garnet Ogilvy, is a writer, business development enthusiast, consumer behaviour analyst, brand development expert and multi-platform media influencer. His advertising career spans nearly two decades and a half, starting off at MC&A Saatchi & Saatchi, from where he moved to Prima Garnet Ogilvy and later 141. While at 141, he led a team of result-oriented professionals, working on several award-winning campaigns for brands such as TomTom, Etisalat, British American Tobacco, First Bank and MultiChoice. He is an associate registered member of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).
Kayode Oluwasona,
CEO, Harmony Concept
He is a thorough-bred marketing and communication professional, who has garnered experience spanning both advertising and agency sides. Before his three years sojourn at Rosabel, where he became the managing director, he was the executive director in charge of business development at Insight Communications. He began his career in marketing as a Trainee Manager in Leventis Motors from 1992 to 1993. He was at different times a Management Trainee at Lever Brothers Nig Plc (now Unilever Nigeria) from 1993 – 1995, Brand Manager at Lever Brothers Nig. Plc from 1995 – 1997 and Senior Brand Manager, SmithKline Beecham Nig. Plc from 1997 – 2001. He crossed over to advertising when he joined Insight Communications as Senior Account Director in 2001. At Insight he served severally as Group Account Director, New Business Development Director and Executive Director, New Business Development.
Tunde Thani,
CEO, Explicit Communications Limited
Thani, who holds a 2nd Class Upper degree and Msc both in Mass Communications from the University of Lagos, is a consummate and astute professional advertising practitioner of almost 30 years. He is a fellow of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), Fellow Chartered Institute of Marketing Communication (FCIMC) and Fellow Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIMN). A recipient of many industry awards including the prestigious Unilag Alumni’s Outstanding Merit Award, Thani, who is a resourceful and relentless go-getter, diversified his advertising business into other areas of the economy. Today, he sits as the chairman of many successful companies including, Corporate Insignia Consulting, Sharpshooters Ltd, Treasure M Halls & Events Centre, Treasures F&B Limited and Energybiz Ltd.
Wale Olabiyi,
Managing Consultant/CEO, Xstrata Consulting
A graduate of Fine Arts from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Wale started working at OBM, one of Nigeria’s first generation advertising agencies. He later became Head, Creative Department at Bluebird Communications where he resigned to become principal partner at KWT Limited in May 1999. Thereafter, he had a brief stint at Amethyst & Turquoise as the Managing Consultant/CEO. He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School and a member of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).
Funke Nwankwo,
Chief Operating Officer, Wetherheads Advertising Group Limited
A graduate of Psychology with post-graduate degree in Industrial and Organisational Psychology, Nwankwo has over 17 years work experience in various advertising agencies, eight of which were in Insight Communications, where she started as an Accounts Planner and rose to the position of Accounts Director, before joining SO & U Saatchi & Saatchi in 2004 as Associate Client Service Director. She was later appointed the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Quest Publicis Advertising Limited, a second line Agency of SO & U Saatchi & Saatchi in 2008. She later held the position of Executive Director/ Chief Operating Officer of the same Agency from January 2009 to December 2012.
Helen Ese Emore,
CEO, Vantgarde
An expert in communications strategy and marketing with demonstrated track record of managing development projects, driving growth, reducing costs and improving operations of government agencies, businesses and Non-Governmental Organisations, Helen has worked on sponsorship programmes, management of events, marketing communication and issues management campaigns for reputable organisations such as Nestle Plc, Evans Medical, Continental Pharmaceuticals, Chevron Plc, Courteville Plc, Virgin Nigeria and A&G Insurance.
Tunde Ojo,
CEO, Touchstone
A thoroughbred communications professional, who has helped in giving strategic direction to major brands from Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), financial services to Non-for-Profit organisations in the Nigerian market, Ojo holds B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Mass Communications from University of Lagos. He is also an alumnus of Lagos Business School’s (LBS) Chief Executive Programme (CEP) and had previously worked in two foremost advertising agencies in Nigeria, Insight and Lintas, and two respectable financial institutions- International Merchant Bank (IMB) (established by First National Bank of Chicago) and First City Merchant Bank (FCMB), the first indigenous investment bank in Nigeria. Tunde has attended many training programmes both within Nigeria and offshore in management, communication, marketing, branding and leadership.
Clement Omemu,
Managing Director/CEO, Rosabel
Until his appointment as Managing Director, Omemu, he was the Creative Director of Rosabel. He succeeded Oluwasona as the Managing Director of the agency and studied at the University of Port Harcourt.
Adeda yo Ojo,
Managing Director/CEO, Caritas Communications
A foremost reputation and corporate communications strategist, Dayo has over 25 years experience spanning journalism, issues management, stakeholder relations, and corporate social responsibility programmes management. Prior to setting up Caritas Communications, he spent 15 years with ExxonMobil’s Nigerian affiliate, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), where he made a mark overseeing the Public Affairs unit. Dayo retired in 2006 as Manager, Government Relations and Head of Abuja Office. Also, he had a stint as pioneer Vice President in charge of Corporate Relations with Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc. A graduate of University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Dayo holds a 1984 Master of Arts Degree in Communication Arts from the University of Ibadan as well as a Diploma in Public Relations from London.
Joe Anatune,
Managing Director, B43 Communications
Anatune had his primary education in Awaka and secondary school in Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State. He attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study marketing and graduated in 1985. Since then, he has been in general marketing and advertising management. He started his working experience with Nipol – a plastic manufacturing firm based in Ibadan. From there, he worked briefly with May Manufacturing Company Limited and later joined Dawn Function, where he rose to become Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer, Lagos office. He left the company and with some friends, founded B3 Communications
Temitope Jemerigbe,
Managing Director, DKK & Associates
In her 15 years of practice that have covered some of Nigeria’s biggest advertising agencies, from STB McCann Lagos to Prima Garnet Ogilvy, and from ZK Advertising to DKK, her excellent work on such brands as Coca-Cola, Multichoice, Standard Chartered Bank, Dangote, UBA, Zain, Unilever, among others, reflect her philosophy that “there is no end to perfection.” Under her leadership, DKK has grown in revenue exponentially in eight months and, if you ask her, “the company is just getting started.”
Yomi Benson,
Managing Director/CEO, Culture Communications
A graduate of the humanities Yomi holds a PGD in Advertising and a Masters in Business Administration. As a full member of APCON with over 18 years rounded experience in advertising, brand management and sales, YB, as he is known to his friends, is no stranger to the world of brand management. He commenced his advertising career at OBM as a Client Service Executive in 1994 from where he left to STB-McCann and rose to Group Head Client Service before he left the organization in 2001. In 2001, he joined BAT as a Brand manager on International VFM Brands but later went back to the advertising world as a Senior Account Director at Insight in 2004. He did exceptionally well and was promoted to Group Account Director in 2005. He left Insight to become the Managing Director of Media Plus in 2009. Yomi alongside a small group of believers founded Culture Communications in January 2010.
Tunji Olugbodi,
GMD/GCEO, Verdant Zeal
His sojourn into the industry, which has produced great titans, started from his days as an editor with The Guardian Newspaper. He rose through the ranks in the marketing communications industry working with SAAL Advertising, PromoServe, Grey and Prima Garnet Ogilvy where he championed innovative marketing strategies using the 360 degree tactics to execute major campaigns. After over a decade, he retired from Prima Garnet as the Executive Director to establish Verdant Zeal in 2007. Tunji and the Verdant Zeal Group were the first indigenous advertising agency to acquire marketing communication agencies in sub Saharan Africa. A co-coordinator of Nigeria’s first ever truly global advertising campaign on CNN in 1994, Tunji was also the pioneer chairman of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF), the industry’s first ever-creative awards, which he organised to international standards. He is a fellow of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Nigerian Institute of Marketing (NIM) and also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), London and Institute of Directors (IoD).
Henry Bassey,
Chief Enthusiast, Digibrands Limited
He is a seasoned marketing consultant and effective communicator with strong business development competencies garnered over the past 19 years of postgraduate work experience in highly competitive markets such as Nigeria, South Africa and the UK. Henry has over these years, developed strong brand management skills to deliver lucid solutions in the Public & Private Sector whilst specialising in the areas of media, strategic planning, research, advertising, public relations and corporate affairs, for organisations such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC), Emirates, Coca-Cola, British American Tobacco, Unilever, Nestle, Visa, GSK, Access Bank amongst others. A graduate of Economics from the University of Jos and a Master Degree in Marketing from DeMontfort University, Leicester UK,Henry is a seasoned marketing consultant and effective communicator with strong business development competencies garnered over the past 19 years of post-graduate work experience in highly competitive markets such as Nigeria, South Africa and the United Kingdom.
Kayode Ebatamehi,
Chief Operating Officer, Bluebird Communications
Kayode exudes advertising and has dedicated his entire professional career to building brands across diverse business sectors. Beyond building brands, he is passionate about developing brand champions, who define advertising as a passion and not a job. Mr “Bang On”, his popular phrase when excited, shares the conviction that a modern agency must be able to “Predict and Exceed” the expectations of consumers in order to remain relevant to the business goals of clients. He sees no border between work and fun, because advertising offers him the rare opportunity of being paid for having lifetime fun. He holds a degree in History from the University of Lagos in 1990, and an MBA (Marketing) from Delta State University, Abraka.
Odun Fadoju,
CEO, DP Partnership +FCB
He began his advertising career at PAL Advertising Ltd and has since worked in many agencies: Kilburn Advertising, Bluebell Advertising, Rocke-Forte Advertising and Sunrise DMB& B where he left as the Managing Director in 2003 to team up with others to become the founding CEO of DP Partnerhip+FCB Nigeria. He has been involved in policy making in the advertising industry with Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN), now Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) since 1986.
Tunji Abioye,
Managing Director, Fuel Communications
Abioye, until he floated Fuel Communications, was the managing director, Rosabel. He started with Rosabel as an executive trainee and later became the Managing Director of the company. He spent 16 years at Rosabel.
Afolabi Sorunke,
Managing Director/CEO, Business Strategy & Communications
Afolabi, who emerged the best graduating student of the English Department of Ogun State University in 1988, started his career in communications with The Guardian Newspapers, which he joined as Supplement Executive in October 1989. Afterwards, he moved on to The Punch Newspapers as a Special Projects’ Executive. In October 1991, Afolabi came into mainstream advertising when he took up appointment with Total Marketing Communications Ltd.; as Senior Client Service Executive, virtually overseeing the agency’s portfolio, which included R.T Briscoe, Dell (Tritech) Computers, Wema Bank, Eagle Package and Toyota among others. He rose through the ranks to become Accounts Director & Head of Department in 1998. In April 2001, Afolabi joined the services of DDB, a multinational advertising firm as Senior Business Development Manager. At DDB, he handled blue-chip accounts such as Sony, Mercedes-Benz, UBA, First Atlantic Bank, Emirates Airline etc. He left DDB in April 2004 to co-found and manage BSC Ltd.
Yinka Ogunde,
Managing Director, Goals & Ideas
A graduate from University of Lagos in 1984 with a B.A English and MSc Mass Communication, she is one of the few seasoned marketing communications strategists. Yinka had a stint with the Nigerian Television Authority and the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State, and have since been in the marketing communications field. She began her career at Promoserve, where she worked on several multinational accounts. She later served with M-Gold Communications before setting up Goals & Ideas.
Gabriel Abah,
Managing Director/CEO, Solutions Communications Ltd
He has traversed the marketing stretch in some of the best companies in Nigeria: United African Company Nigeria (UACN), Mobil Oil, Insight Communications Limited and MC&A, an offshoot of Insight Communications. At UAC he had a foretaste of work before moving on to Mobil Oil in Sales Operations, from where he moved into Marketing Communications at Insight. He was Account Director and then Senior Account Director before he was moved to the Client Service Department of MC&A – an offshoot as Associate Director. While at Insight and MC&A, he was involved in the development of Advertising and Public Relations strategies for several blue chip clients and famous brands such as DHL and Texaco among others.. An Alumnus of Bolton Institute and the Manchester Metropolitan University UK, he holds an MBA degree [Marketing].
Dan Es iekpe,
Managing Director, IMS Advertising
A leading brand and communications specialist in West Africa, Esiekpe is a graduated from the University of Lagos with an Honours Degree in Mass Communication. He also has Postgraduate certificate in Strategic Marketing Management from the Harvard Business School and a certificate in Executive Development from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He worked for Unilever/Heineken as Sales and Marketing Manager (Sierra Leone), Sales and Marketing Director (Ghana), Sales and Marketing Director (Nigeria). His experience stretches across various functional areas of marketing in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) market segment.
Dr. Phil Osagie,
Global Strategist, JSP Corporate Communications & JSP Canada Corporation
A global communications and PR specialist with vast experience and track record in helping multi-billion dollar corporations succeed in Nigeria, West Africa and chosen emerging markets, Phil was the pioneer chief executive officer of the first full-fledged Public Relations Consultancy firm, The Quadrant Company. Phil, who schooled at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, England, is a trusted communications adviser to almost 10 fortune 500 companies and selected governments, PR and communications counsel to a select clientele including: Apple (Core Group Africa), Emirates, Fedex RedStar, MasterCard, Cotecna, Cheveron among others.
Yomi Badejo-Okusanya,
CEO, CMC Connect
His deep knowledge of the public relations industry and business is not in doubt. Badejo-Okusanya, who once served as a Council Member to the national body of Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), is a graduate of History from the University of Benin. He has to his credit over two decades of work experience. He is currently the Secretary- General of the African Public Relations Association.
Chido Nwakanma,
CEO, Blueflower Limited
Nwakanma, who has distinguished himself in the areas of public relations management, strategic communications, and publication management among others, is the current president of Public Relations Consultancy Association of Nigeria (PRCAN). He holds a B.A Mass communications from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka a Masters Degree in Industrial Sociology from the University of Lagos.
Tokunbo Modupe,
Chairman,TPT International
Modupe, who runs the company with Charles Igbinidu, has carved a niche for himself in the Nigeria’s PR business. In the last two decades, Toks, as he is fondly called by admirers, has proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he knows his onions as far as both the business and practice of public relations are concerned. The company has won several local businesses that cut across finance, telecoms among other sectors.
Nn’emeka Maduegbuna,
Chairman/CEO, C& F Porter Novelli
Maduegbuna brings close to three decades of experience in strategic communications planning, corporate positioning and reputation management, as well as extensive practice in the areas of issues and crisis management and litigation communications. Recognised as one of the leading Public Relations practitioners in the West African sub-region, he continues to lead consulting teams on complex communications programmes covering a wide variety of sectors and industries. Prior to co-founding C&F Porter Novelli, Nn’emeka was a senior functionary of the Nigerian government privatisation agency, Bureau of Public Enterprises.
Lekan Ishola
Managing Director, PR Redline
Lekan, who started his marketing Communications career with SDI Associates and later joined TPT International’s Brandfaces Magazine where he rose to become an Editor, is a 1992 graduate of Communications Art from the University of Ibadan. He also worked at Ruyi Communications (Advertising & PR practitioners) as a General Manager/MD. He made a comeback to journalism when he joined TPT International as Group Head, Publications. As an entrepreneur, he published Marketing Standard – an all gloss marketing magazine until his appointment as the managing director of PRRedline then known as FCB Redline.
Celey Okogun,
Managing Director, Novelpotta Y & R
He holds a master’s degree in Communication Arts and a PhD in Organizational Leadership at Capella University, US. Celey had a brief stint in publishing as a Senior Editor in 1990 before venturing into core advertising in 1993. A member of both the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), he began his career in marketing communications at Insight-Grey in 1993 where he rose to become an Account Manager, guiding strategic marketing efforts for world space, in the West African market. He joined DDB CASERS in 1998 as a Senior Business Development Manager and Head of Client Service during, which he supervised accounts such as Glaxowellcome, Smithcline, Sona Breweries (Maltonic, Gold beer), Equatorial Trust Bank and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, among many other high profile accounts.
Bolaji Okusaga, Managing Director,
The Quadrant Company
He attended Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife where he studied Dramatic Arts. Upon completion of his first degree, he was under the tutelage of Chief Segun Olusola and Oba Gbenga Sonuga in Arts Management at the International Centre for Arts Lagos. After his Youth Service, he proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he acquired a Master’s degree in Communication and Language Arts. Upon completion of his masters, he ventured into independent T.V production and marketing of programmes. He moved from broadcasting into PR, joining Presentations Plus in 2002 where he helped manage the publicity aspect of the Obasanjo-Atiku 2003 Presidential Campaign. From there, he moved to Marina International Bank as Head of Communications and upon the merger of the defunct Marina Bank with Access Bank, he became the Head of Investor Relations at Access Bank before moving to Ecobank as Head, Branding.
John Ehiguese,
Managing Director, Mediacraft Associates
The founder and Chief Executive Officer of Mediacraft Associates Limited, John is a graduate of Mass Communications and also holds an MBA from the Lagos Business School (Pan African University). He is also an alumnus of the IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain. He brought into Mediacraft, over 20 years crossfunctional experience spanning Sales and Marketing, Journalism, Broadcasting, Advertising and Public Relations (10 of which were in senior management positions). In 26 July 2010, he was elected the Secretary General of the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria (PRCAN).