Biography
I am the Director Communications, Public Affairs and Sustainable Development at Lafarge Africa. With a deep sense of modesty, I would say I am a consummate multi-faceted and proven business leader with an extensive background in finance, strategy, project/change management, business development, thought leadership, sustainable development and management consulting across a wide industry spectrum across the UK, Nigeria and rest of Europe.
With more than 23 years senior management experience delivering world class strategic business transformation solutions in a variety of global FSTE 100 multinationals including LafargeHolcim Plc., Diageo Plc. (Guinness Nigeria Plc.), PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), Ford Motor Company, Zurich Financial Services, Learning & Skills Council UK and the Nigeria Ministry of Finance (YouWin 1, 2 & 3) co- managed by the Department for International Development (DFID) UK. Throughout my career, I have an excellent record of bottom-line achievements in the deployment of large scale business solutions and in leading cross functional global teams at board level particularly addressing non-performance challenges with sensitivity and a sense of urgency.
My education includes a Bachelor of (Hons) Accounting degree from London Guildhall, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the Open University Business School UK. I am also a certified Financial Management consultant with the Chartered Insurance Institute (Cii), UK amongst a plethora of other professional certifications inclusive of the Lagos Business School – AMP (Advanced Management Programme).
In October 2016, I was appointed Director of Communications, Public Affairs & Sustainable Development, Lafarge Africa Plc. Before then, I worked as the Integration Business Transformation Management Consultant for LafargeHolcim (LH) (2015) focused on enabling a speedy integration of WAPCO, Ashaka and Unicem (following worldwide merger of LH) in order to deliver the country business ambition as one holistic organization with an additional to facilitate safe and high performance culture for the merged organisation.
I currently serve on the NESG (Nigeria Economic Summit Group) 24 Executive Committee, I’m a board member of the UN SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Nigeria – Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) – Cluster 8 Co-Lead and also serve on the EBO (European Business Organisation) Nigeria as a board member too. I am the leading catalyst driving Women in Manufacturing Africa (WimAfrica) initiative launched last December in partnership with Unilever and Access Bank. Lafarge Africa Plc. is a member of all aforementioned.
In my spare time, I’m an avid lover of classical music and a latin enthusiast who enjoys coaching and mentoring teenagers and high potential managers. I love visiting museums whenever I travel.
Married life
I have been married for 25 years this October to my husband Iyke Ambrose-Medebem, wow! How time has flown. We have three beautiful daughters. Juggling my career and family life hasn’t been easy at all, but for the support of my dear husband and family. I took time out for each of them, leveraged our family in the beginning progressing to nannies then adapted to live-in au-pairs as they grew older. We even used technology! For the youngest one- nannycam! Personally, it’s been an enriching journey and I am pleased my girls have learned first-hand that they can have it all in their own ‘best’ way.
Over 25 years in the communications industry, share your experiences
Throughout my diverse career, I have always deliberately been able to leverage my experience across industries and disciplines to bring fresh perspectives. So far, this has been extremely effective and allowed me to add immediate value with impact further underpinned by my seeking constant feedback from my teams, which is a very insightful barometer for gauging leadership impact and learning as we all have blind spots. I also ensure that I always lead from a position of purpose (for me this is pivotal – clarity of Purpose- that is your raison d’etre – your what and why – which typically is often based on one’s values). I am driven by very strong values of integrity and an undying spirit of excellence. A common analogy I use to illustrate in simple compelling terms is that of a ship at sea drifting, at some point, the anchor will need to be released; the anchor is your values metaphorically. With an anchor, you can then navigate your leadership stand as well, the absence of both will cause you to drift and drift. My personal value statement is to treat others as I would like to be treated while my leadership stand is to inspire best in myself and others always.
Lafarge Africa’s passion for women advancement and inclusion
Yes and I am extremely proud to be part of Lafarge Africa family, under the leadership of our Chairman, Mobolaji Balogun and our CCEO, Michel Puchercos, the facts speak for themselves both women board and executive management make up 33% – on the board are three women while our executive leadership comprise of four women
What would you say have been the successes and challenges?
Both our chairman and CCEO of Lafarge Africa Plc. Leading by walking the talk is indeed a success as is the fact that Lafarge Africa consistently encourage , coach and mentor our women to lead and enhance their skillsets for instance, working on cross functional projects. We recently celebrated international women’s day achieving a considerable turnout across all our plant operations. We launched Women in Manufacturing Africa (WimAfrica) initiative; we consciously ensure the girl child agenda is inclusive across our literacy competition and other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. In the north, our CSR activities focus on driving women economic empowerment. Lafarge Africa is certainly progressing in the right direction, I suppose from a critical lens, and as you have asked for the challenges, they frankly relate to the need for increasing pace and increasing equitable participation, the latter is WimAfrica’s vision and top of mind for Lafarge Africa too.
Most professionals that work in Lafarge are men. How has Lafarge Africa Plc. encouraged more women?
At Lafarge Africa, we are committed to gender inclusion and parity; we mirror our Group’s commitment to creating the right environment for women and families in our organisation. From a policy stand point, Lafarge Africa Plc clearly ensures that the interests of female employees are protected at all times. Some of the women friendly practices enshrined in our policy at Lafarge include supporting our new mothers by paying for crèche services, removal of annual leave from our maternity leave and creating opportunities for networking with other women professionals across our extensive LafargeHolcim group and externally. To further underscore, our facts speak for themselves. Lafarge Africa trailblazing success includes our first female engineer in Ashaka –Deborah Danladi, our qualified geologist –Funmi Taiwo from Ewekoro plant, our Board and CCEO recently promoted Adewunmi Alode as Company Secretary. Our Talent and Resources Manager is a woman. Even at the plant level, we have several women holding strategic positions. My team comprises seven women and I confidently say this is echoed across the entire organisation with my colleagues in the Executive Management team. We have a robust and inclusive succession and talent development plan being in place too.
Do you see a woman heading this company in the next 5 years?
Absolutely yes, absolutely on merit and absolutely across Nigeria and indeed Africa. Women have proven time and time again the world over, that we exceedingly lead and deliver well. We already have inspiring examples. At LafargeHolcim across the ninety markets in which we operate, we have a number of female CEO’s already, our past CEO in Nigeria was a woman Adepeju Adebajo with many other notable women CEO’s in Nigeria and beyond.
Why are there fewer women on boards?
Personally, women simply don’t network enough as much as our male peers do nor do we put ourselves forward enough, there is also a far to small talent pool from which executive boards can select from (although I must commend the impressive work Wimbiz is doing to redress this imbalance – needless to say I am a member) this is further compounded by women opting out for instance to have children and finding it difficult to opt back in at the same level seamlessly. I personally did, but I strategised at the onset and ensured while I was away I added a relevant new skill set hence my financial management qualifications demonstrating my commitment and ability to not just think out of the box but create a whole new one too!
What can be done to increase the figures?
Address the points I have made and deliberately with resolute intent, involve, educate, inform and engage our male peers/influential stakeholders more and those senior leading women currently sitting on boards to leave no woman behind and by that I mean not just effort but effort leading to results which invariably inspire others, a kind of domino effect. We also must collaborate with each other a whole lot more than we do now, seek out best practices adapt and implement; we have a lot of catching up to do in Nigeria. A Mckinsey report I read states gender diversity yields multiples benefits which helps motivate and attract talented employees, boards that represent the customer base have better intuition and a diverse board enhances better decision making. These are facts.
What is your view on International Women’s Day? Is one day enough to celebrate women?
The purpose of International Women’s Day for the past one hundred plus years is to bring attention to the social, political, economic, and cultural issues that women face, and to advocate for the advance of women across those parameters. For me, it really is a rhetorical question – I am a woman! This is an extremely worthy recognition for women underpinned overtime with remarkable headway. This year’s theme – Press for Progress certainly must be a daily habit and certainly will not be easy however, by striving to always be your best, imbibing the spirit of excellence and encouraging one another, you will not even see obstacles (changing your mind-set is a fundamental starting point – if you believe you can do it, you will.
What are you doing in your own capacity to help women press for progress?
Living my purpose purposefully – I coach and mentor women to be their best self here at work and outside of work too. I am intently walking the talk so by being credible i.e. by doing what I say speaks louder and with impact. WimAfrica is another platform I am involved alongside Access bank and Unilever. That said, I will accelerate and do a lot more partnering and networking. A wise African proverb says if you want to go fast go alone, if you want to go far go together.
What day in your life is it that you can never forget?
Becoming a wife and mum thrice. My family matters tremendously to me, I’m immensely thankful.
Final words
I say for me, women should speak up more. It is about speaking up. Speaking up has and is still at the core for women development. Kofi Annan (former secretary-general of the United Nations) articulated this very well by saying “There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women”. In the beginning, it was about women’s suffrage- the right of women to vote in elections. Then it progressed to encouraging women to stand for elective offices. Senator Franka Afegbua blazed the trail in the second republic becoming the first elected senator. It certainly is not yet Uhuru in Nigeria. We have made significant progress as women but there’s more to be done. We must all continue speaking up, however, in order for us to speak up with IMPACT as women from the world over, there are critical components that simply must always prevail. The first component is Heart- specifically because when we feel it as women, we are able to empathise, we are able to connect, we are able to intuitively understand and we are able to win heart and minds. Sure we have all heard that saying before – winning hearts and minds. The second component is Purpose and Values- Now with this I am highlighting the importance of clarity of purpose, I alluded earlier. The third component is Trust and Self-Belief- ahhhh now this is the acid test. How strong is your conviction, your purpose, your values and your heart? Trust in your strength and indeed in yourself – your Self-Belief. Typically it is often always stronger than we think, proven time and time again. Ladies, I implore us all irrespective of your role and rank. Earnestly go forth emboldened to speak up for one and all every day.
Kemi Ajumobi
