Chidinma Nwankwo is the Head of Media Buying, All Seasons Zenith, one of the country’s largest media independent agencies.
Nwankwo, 35, oversees annual budgets in excess of N6 billion, which she and her team deploy for brand marketing campaigns on behalf of clients such as Nestle, Pepsi, and Chi. Now in her tenth year at All Seasons, Nwanwko’s professional ascent has been nothing if not swift.
Within the first five years after graduating with a BSc in Economics from the Enugu State University, she was placed in a key account management position at Verdant Zeal Marketing Communications, her first employer, where one of the accounts she managed was the fintech behemoth, Interswitch.
That sink-or-swim experience with Verdant Zeal, she said, became the invaluable preparation for her next role as deputy manager in charge of media planning at All Seasons.
As Chidinma Nwankwo rose through the ranks in the ensuing decade, while also garnering international certifications as Member, Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS); Member, Chartered Institute of Marketing (MCIM ); and an Associate Registered Practitioner of Advertising (ARPA), the exceptional value of her focused energy and passion became much clearer.
“If I were to use one word, I would say passion,” declared Chidinma Nwankwo as she described what distinct qualities could have propelled her fast-paced career in the marketing communications sector of the Nigerian economy.
“I’m a very passionate person who also happens to have a lot of energy,” she said. “So, I believe it was quite easy for me to stand out.”
“It doesn’t really matter whether you’re an intern or an executive,” she said. “You just find that your employer would naturally gravitate towards you if they know for sure that you’re almost likely to deliver the best output.”
Looking forward to her next step as a procurement specialist, she offered this thought as a piece of advice to young female executives who might also desire to rise quickly in their professions.
“Yes, it may be a cliché but it is also true that working hard and smart makes the difference. In any company, it is quite easy to see who delivers results and who doesn’t. Even if your supervisor does not personally like you, he or she must still acknowledge that you deliver the best outcomes. If he does not, it will affect his KPIs [Key Performance Indicators]. So, keep at it; the accolades will come,” she said.
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