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By Christy Anyanwu
Chief Marketing Officer of OVH Energy Marketing Limited, Lilian Ikokwu, has called on women to break the bias against them and find their path.
Ikokwu, one of the women that have excelled in her career, made the call when she spoke with The Sun Newspapers about her journey, so far, in business and hurdles she had passed to attain her present position.
She shared her perspectives on women in marketing and the power of finding one’s path in line with the International Women’s Day celebration which has as its theme: Time To Break The Bias.
Ikokwu said she had a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Nnamdi Azikiwe University.
“Computer science,” she said, “is defined by rules and codes, programming languages and artificial intelligence.
“Shortly after my graduation, I decided to try out other things. I wanted to develop creative solutions for ingenious business problems.”
According to her, she navigated to marketing with her creativity, communication skills, and analytical abilities and she felt right at home.
With her background in computer science, She understood the numbers; she quickly realised that data-driven marketing is the backbone of all laser-sharp understanding of one’s target audience.
“My career trajectory has been an interesting one. Working in the oil and gas industry, I tried different size roles. I worked as a commercial branch manager, Lubricants and VAP manager, customer care manager, network optimisation manager, head lubricants (sales and marketing), and now chief marketing officer (CMO).”
Ikokwu has come a long way with an impressive role as CMO of one of Nigeria’s most prominent indigenous marketers of choice, OVH Energy Marketing.
“I have been laying the groundwork for years. Radical changes do not happen overnight. Thousands of seemingly insignificant blocks build a mansion; I believe the same thing happens with opportunities.
“Laying the groundwork and capacity building sometimes take years; its back-breaking work that eventually pays off. Then, when the right opportunity comes along, you think to yourself, this is it! This is the moment I’ve been preparing for,” she said.
Sharing her views on women’s progress in the marketing industry, Ikokwu said: “I am an optimist, so is it progressing? Yes. Is it fast enough? I don’t think so. Across the spectrum, from client to agency side, practitioners and through content creation to messaging, the business case has been made for the incredible upside to full female participation. It is proven that having women in leadership roles positively influences consumer representation. This should ordinarily be a no-brainer. But if it is so obvious and simple, why hasn’t it been solved yet?” she queried.
According to her, clarity on the root issues and a concrete plan to solve them are critical.
She said for example, despite near-parity in entry-level numbers, women are outnumbered almost 2 to 1 by men in first-level manager jobs that are the bridges to senior roles.
Ikokwu believes levelling the playing field by dismantling obstacles that impede retention will increase female participation within the industry.
“There is a dogged stubbornness that one needs to possess to succeed,” she said.
This attitude serves Ikokwu well in her time at OVH Energy Marketing.
She said the fact is, “the profession attracts more females at entry-level. However, in Nigeria, upward mobility becomes a challenge due to the disproportionate duties a woman carries because of culture and non-supportive practices.
“This often results in a career break, leaving few women at very senior levels to drive the change.
“Policy and implementation are the solutions.”
Ikokwu said to support female employees for professional development while on maternity leave and for re-assimilation to the workforce is a game-changer.
And this, she said, made her to discover, through experience, the importance of continued education and having a solid network.
“I recommend both to ascending talents, sometimes it’s exhausting, but it is worth it. Continue learning, dabble into different things because you’ll never know if you don’t try, and that is the only way you keep learning.”
Always a scientist at heart; she believes even failed trials reveal helpful information.
“Also have both women and men as allies. You are only as strong as your network, and while this may sound cliché, it is the truth. I have also noticed a reluctance in women to leverage their network. When this happens, I tell them why buy a fancy car if you won’t take it out for a ride.
“To me, mentorship is critical in life. Seeing someone that is where you want to be, just has an impact on your life.”
Particularly as a Nigerian woman working in marketing, Ikokwu appreciates the unique impact her visibility can have on fellow women pursuing careers in marketing.
“I am inspired by so many great mentors who have helped me on this journey; I hope I can serve others like that.”
“By sharing our stories,” she said, “we equip each other with insight. Those are the most valuable gifts as we continue to find our paths.”
