Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Leadership and Social Impact Roles Current
Board and Advisory Roles
Timeline
Generic

Nwando Okonkwo Ajene

Summary

Strategic communications expert with over 20 years of experience in business management and marketing communications. Proven track record in executing impactful social campaigns focused on sustainability, youth empowerment, gender equality, and nutrition. Skilled mentor and trainer for young entrepreneurs, enhancing skills development through targeted programs.

Overview

23
23
years of professional experience

Work History

Senior Advisor

Honorable Minister Industry Trade and Investment
, Nigeria
10.2024 - Current
  • Crafted and executed strategic communication plans promoting Nigeria’s trade and investment agenda.
  • Advised on media engagement and narrative framing for key trade policies, tariffs, and MSME development.
  • Coordinated content creation, speechwriting, and storytelling to elevate ministerial initiatives.
  • Liaised with internal units and external agencies to ensure cohesive messaging across various channels.
  • Report, events, digital communications

Principal Lead

Roots2Market
01.2023 - Current
  • Spearheaded strategic vision for social advisory firm to drive business development with key stakeholders.
  • Directed collaborations with donors, government institutions, and grassroots entrepreneurs for program development.
  • Implemented programs focused on job creation, gender equity, and circular economy practices.
  • Oversaw ESG integration and governance advisory services for social enterprises across Africa.
  • Led a team of facilitators and strategists to provide impactful capacity-building training.
  • Facilitated storytelling exhibitions to foster community-driven innovations and enhance engagement.

Communication, Marketing and Media Facilitator

Catalyst 2030
04.2022 - 09.2024
  • Managed the ecosystem of over 1400 social enterprises (e.g. Ashoka, Echoing Green and Skoll Foundation), the donor network and ally communities in 6 regions across the globe, creating collaborative campaigns for their projects and initiatives.
  • Managed relationships with key stakeholders in governmental and non-profit institutions
  • Responsible for communications, brand, marketing and media. Oversees and provides strategic, tactical and creative input regarding all external communications, PR, and marketing to ensure the Catalyst brand and those of its flagship initiatives are strong and recognizable among target audience groups.
  • Key driver in the launch of new initiatives including Africa Forward Catalytic Funding and the Catalyst Market.
  • Manages a cross-cultural, multi-level team, providing clarity on deliverables to ensure seamless executions.

Category and Marketing manager

Nestle Nigeria
Lagos
04.2016 - 12.2022
  • Led Culinary Business; largest culinary business in Sub Saharan Africa with over $450M in revenue.
  • Delivered +17% volume growth in a difficult operating environment and grew overall category market share.
  • Maintained strong relationship with key government stakeholders including NSN, NAFDAC
  • Drove advocacy which led to KOL partnerships for affordable nutrition, sustainable development with regards to Nestle's commitment to Creating Shared Value.
  • Served as Diversity and Inclusion Champion for Nestle Nigeria.

Consulting Manager

Tribal Group
01.2015 - 03.2016
  • Lead for UK consulting firm working on the Labour Market Observatory for Ministry of Labour
  • Complex proposal writing for competitive grants, including budgets, monitoring and evaluation to demonstrate impact and results.

Head of Communications

Nigerian Stock Exchange
Lagos
07.2013 - 01.2015
  • Developed an integrated communications strategy and led the implementation of strategic objectives for all business units; Areas of focus for corporate communications include: Brands and Events, Corporate Social Responsibility, Media and Digital Marketing.
  • Managed relationships with correspondents of local and international media organizations in Nigeria to promote positive and balanced publicity for capital market activities and crises management issues.
  • Served as a steward for public speaking of the CEO and top executive management staff ensuring compliance with international best practice.
  • Managed digital marketing campaigns; re-design of the NSE website and social media optimization.

Business Development Marketing Director

EXP Nigeria
Lagos
01.2010 - 07.2013
  • Developed communication strategy, identify new opportunities and responsible for managing key client relationships for strategic accounts such as: Google, MTN, Coca-Cola, Nokia, Nigerian Breweries, Diageo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and Ford.
  • Responsible for acquiring new business worth over N600 Million yearly and have achieved a 90% success rate.
  • Recruited and trained key personnel to manage new client and project acquisitions
  • Led several successful route-to-market strategies that optimized brand productivity, top-of-mind awareness, increase in volumes and profitability.
  • Developed over 20 relevant Sponsorship opportunities for key clients achieved 50% increase in brand visibility and post amplification.

Analyst-Senior Financial Associate

ABN AMRO
Chicago
08.2002 - 10.2009
  • Managed a team of ten employees to deliver advisory and verification processes to 50 major trade service accounts totaling a daily average of $8-12Million in transactions.
  • Led a cross functional team to develop and implement a 12-month program focused on transferring 80% of key operations from Chicago to colleagues in a new outsourced office in India.
  • Responsible for identifying areas for process improvements and successfully managed expected savings to 15% of initial projections.

Education

Graduate Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications - IMC

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO GRAHAM SCHOOL OF GENERAL STUDIES
Chicago, IL
05.2009

Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
Chicago, IL
06.2002

Skills

  • Strategic communication
  • Media engagement
  • Content creation
  • Stakeholder management
  • Public relations
  • Campaign management
  • Sustainability initiatives
  • Social innovation

Leadership and Social Impact Roles Current

Africa Leadership Initiative (ASPEN Global Leadership) Fellow Aug 2024 West Africa As part of ALIWA, an exclusive cohort of African change-makers, each Fellow is dedicated to leading a high-impact initiative that positively impacts their community, country, or the world. ALIWA’s Fellows have driven transformative change across West Africa.

Board and Advisory Roles

  • Enterprise Development Centre at Pan-Africa University Facilitator Lagos, NG Facilitate sessions to support EDC’s mission is to build a network of entrepreneurial leaders through a commitment to continuous learning, process improvement and business integrity.
  • CareerTalks Founder Lagos, NG Founded a platform to engage teenagers on career aspirations by matching their collective interests to successful young talent
  • Lagos Food Bank Board Member Board member of a leading non-profit organization committed to fighting hunger and malnutrition through targeted programs that seeks to improve availability of food intake in underserved communities.
  • Royal Foam Board Member Board member of a leading Mattress Company in Northern Nigeria

Timeline

Senior Advisor

Honorable Minister Industry Trade and Investment
10.2024 - Current

Principal Lead

Roots2Market
01.2023 - Current

Communication, Marketing and Media Facilitator

Catalyst 2030
04.2022 - 09.2024

Category and Marketing manager

Nestle Nigeria
04.2016 - 12.2022

Consulting Manager

Tribal Group
01.2015 - 03.2016

Head of Communications

Nigerian Stock Exchange
07.2013 - 01.2015

Business Development Marketing Director

EXP Nigeria
01.2010 - 07.2013

Analyst-Senior Financial Associate

ABN AMRO
08.2002 - 10.2009

Graduate Studies in Integrated Marketing Communications - IMC

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO GRAHAM SCHOOL OF GENERAL STUDIES

Bachelor of Commerce - Marketing

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY

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Nwando Okonkwo Ajene