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| Mr Biodun Shobanjo |
| CEO - The Apprentice Africa |
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Bank PHB, in conjunction with The Executive Group (TEG)
and Storm Vision is pleased to announce that Mr. Biodun Shobanjo, Chairman Troyka group and co-founder of Nigeria’s largest and unarguably, most successful advertising agency, Insight Grey has signed on as the CEO of The Apprentice Africa.
In his acceptance letter, Mr. Shobanjo who is popularly known as “Father of Advertising” said. ”It is most humbling for me to be chosen by your bank as the face of your proposed show. Let me confirm my acceptance of this extremely major challenge, in the hope that, together with all stakeholders, we are able to come up with a programme that we can be proud of.
By accepting to be CEO of The Apprentice Africa, Biodun Shobanjo joins a long line of distinguished corporate titans and business moguls like Donald Trump, United Kingdom’s Allan Sugar and South African’s Tokyo Sexwale amongst others whose presence, charisma, business savvy and panache have been integral to the success of the franchise.
Born some 63 years ago to a peripatetic civil servant, the Shobanjo family’s peregrinations imbued the young man with a cosmopolitan worldview and his early experience as a broadcaster prepared him for life as an advertiser.
Biodun Shobanjo, who rose to the post of Deputy Managing Director of Grant Advertising before his 30th birthday, co-founded Insight Communications (now Insight Grey) in 1979 and has today grown the company from the initial 18 man strong team into an advertising behemoth.
The Troyka Group which is the holding company for Insight, SKG2, Optimum Exposure, Media Perpective, MediaCom, Quadrant and Halogen amongst others employs over seven thousand Nigerian men and women.
Biodun Shobanjo attributes his success to his a fierce determination and a steely can-do attitude. “I was young when I left Grant advertising and young people are very daring, so it didn’t cross my mind that I wouldn’t make it. Again, without meaning to be immodest, I really have never failed in my life. If you’re not used to failing you don’t even contemplate failure."
The ever dapper and sartorially elegant man of style says there are four essential elements for success and he lists them as “Professionalism. The other is honour. The third is integrity. The fourth is passion. They come in any order but if you have these four things, chances are that you’re going to succeed."
A consummate advertising and marketing communications practitioner, Biodun Shobanjo is a perfect choice for the CEO of The Apprentice Africa because as a believer in people, his business style has favoured a mentoring ambience which has spawned protégés who are leading lights of the advertising and marketing communications industry in Nigeria.
Today, the top 10 CEOs of the top 10 advertising and marketing communications outfits in Nigeria are proud alumni of what admirers love to refer to as the “Insight University.”
Biodun Shobanjo brings to the Apprentice Africa almost forty years of top-notch corporate experience, entrepreneurial savvy, multi-disciplinary industry experience and a business maxim founded squarely on the belief that success is not negotiable.
As he loves to say: “Winning is not everything. It is the only thing!” |
OMOWUNMI FATODU
 Born some 40 years ago, Mrs. Omowunmi Fatodu comes with an enviable resume in marketing communications and brand building; ten year-strong expertise spanning Brand Development/Management, Advertising Campaign Planning & Account Management Relationship Management, PR and Events Management.
With a first degree in Communications Studies from the Sheffield City Polytechnic, a Diploma in Television Production and Certificates in Spoken English and Public Speaking; Marketing Communications and PR, she came into the terrain fully equipped.
First she had a stint in the media as Editor, Fashion & Beauty Page at African Newspapers, Ibadan, Business and General News reporter with Newswatch Magazine, and News Reporter with the NTA, covering the historic 1983 Nigerian elections.
As a marketing expert, she has handled major accounts such as P&G Pringles which unique brand introduction into the Nigerian market she was responsible for, and has handled major accounts including Nestle, Procter & Gamble, the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health (Roll Back Malaria Programme), PZ Industries, Texaco, Net mark, SCJ, IDL, Vmobile, Nestle Nig Plc – having worked with Centrespread FCB, Monarch Telecoms, Nicon Plc, DKK & Associates, MC & A (SAATCHI & SAATCHI AGENCY) and then Insight Communications.
In her ten-year career, she has been PR Officer, Senior Accounts Director, Clients Service Director and Head, Corporate Communications. Presently with Insight Communications, she has worked with a variety of brands including Vmobile, Nestle’s Milo, Cerelac, and Nutrend, and is presently the Head Business Process unit of Insight Communications - responsible for business process implementation on all brands, logistics and planning, compliance of terms and conditions, reporting to the MD.
Uncompromising about working in a well laid-out, well-run organization, her interests include gender issues, swimming, travelling, reading (Autobiographies), mentoring young women on career aspirations and self improvement.
PAUL OLALEYE
 Acknowledged widely as a multi-skilled and experienced management executive, Paul brings with him proven expertise in business strategy, finance, logistics and project management.
With excellent relationship and investment management skills acquired from a wide-ranging work profile including Audit & Accountancy with PKF Lagos, FMCG Marketing & Sales Management with NBC-Coca Cola and John Holt (LONRHO), Treasury, Corporate Finance & Investment Management with the NIB-CITIGROUP, he presently puts these to extensive use with Strategic Management & Business Development Advisory for the Troyka Group.
Boasting a string of groundbreaking achievements with each assignment; he is the 1st Coca-Cola sales manager to achieve sale of one million cases in Dec 1990, he also facilitated and anchored the 1st Coca-cola Market Impact Team and distribution reconfiguration in Lagos,1989.He takes the credit for the successful turnaround of Benin Branch operations of John Holt Auto business, in 1992, and facilitated successful planning, establishment and accreditation of Non-Bank FI business model at Citibank Nigeria, 1999.
Having been key in the planning & launch of 4 new businesses at Troyka: HalogenGeotab,
Promoworld, Oraclemed, Orangootan, he is also responsible for the design and
implementation of the Group’s 5 year development strategic plan. His present assignment as
Professional Business Adviser at this strategic holding company, involves managing a portfolio
of business investments in media, marketing communications, asset protection and logistics.
Winner of a Federal Government of Nigeria Academic Scholarship at the University of Lagos, Paul graduated with a Second class upper degree and as best graduating student in Pharmacology at the University of Lagos, 1983. He also got an MBA from the same University in 1986.
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