About
The Work Behind
the Positioning
More than 12 years of leadership in marketing, production, communications and project delivery across three continents, now focused on how African companies earn the trust of global capital.
The Story
Strategy Built on
Operational Ground
Ayo Akinwale is a marketing and strategic communications leader whose work centres on one problem: strong organizations that are not seen, understood or trusted as clearly as their performance deserves. She brings more than twelve years of leadership across Nigeria, Estonia and the United States to that problem, and a growing focus on the companies in Africa's capital intensive industries that most need to close it.
Her career began on the operational front lines of Nigerian media and television. As Head of Production at MTV Base Africa and later General Manager of Native Media in Lagos, she led a team of more than 100 people and oversaw the delivery of over 260 episodes of The Johnsons along with a Netflix mini series. She also served as Head of Production and Marketing at Xono Media. Production taught her that strategy without operational discipline is decorative. Every leadership role since has been built on that lesson.
In Estonia she moved into international marketing. At OlyBet she managed marketing projects across five European markets with campaign budgets of €20 million to €50 million. At Nordic Aviation Group she led marketing and communications workstreams across cross border teams. She completed her MBA at the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences in Tallinn during this period.
In the United States she is completing a Master of Science in Marketing at The University of Texas at Dallas, where the evidence based side of her thinking has sharpened. She also writes Market Trust Notes, a publication on institutional trust and corporate positioning in African enterprise, and publishes independent analyses of how listed Nigerian energy companies communicate with investors.
Her conviction is simple. Operational strength creates the conditions for trust, but it takes deliberate positioning and disciplined communication to turn that strength into confidence among investors, partners and markets. That is the work she does.
"Strong work creates value. Clear positioning makes that value visible, credible and easier to trust."Ayo Akinwale
Career Journey
A Timeline of
Cross Market Experience
2023 to Present · United States
MSc Marketing and Independent Research
The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
Completing a Master of Science in Marketing. Publishing Market Trust Notes and independent outside in analyses of investor and governance communication at listed Nigerian energy companies.
2021 to 2023 · Estonia
Digital Marketing and Brand Strategy
OlyBet Group
Managed marketing projects across five European markets with campaign budgets of €20M to €50M. Coordinated cross functional teams and campaign strategy across digital channels in a fast paced, regionally complex organization.
2020 to 2021 · Estonia
Marketing and Project Leadership
Nordic Aviation Group
Managed marketing and communications workstreams within an international aviation services context, developing project leadership and stakeholder coordination capabilities across cross-border teams.
2019 to 2020 · Estonia
MBA
Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences, Tallinn
Completed MBA with a focus on strategic management, marketing and international business. This period deepened commercial thinking and provided the academic grounding for her current strategic practice.
2013 to 2019 · Nigeria
General Manager and Head of Production
Native Media · MTV Base Africa · Xono Media
Rose to General Manager of Native Media in Lagos, leading a team of more than 100 people and delivering over 260 episodes of The Johnsons and a Netflix mini series. Served as Head of Production at MTV Base Africa and Head of Production and Marketing at Xono Media.
2010 to 2013 · Nigeria
BA French
Ekiti State University
Undergraduate study in French language and literature, building a foundation in communication, critical thinking and cross-cultural understanding.
Work With Ayo
For senior communications and marketing leadership, investor narrative work or an advisory engagement, the place to start is a conversation.