On hand to steer the ‘Big Data & Marketing’ conversation are accomplished marketing professionals across the client and agency sides – suave and unassuming, Bayo Adekanmbi, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria and Steve Babaeko, CEO, X3M Ideas, Lagos are globally acclaimed professionals with track records of professional excellence.

Bayo Adekanmbi, Phd, Chief Transformation Officer, MTN

Bayo Adekanmbi Phd is Nigeria’s lead for MTN Group Transformation programme (IGNITE): A holistic transformation programme, with intent to shape the future of MTN, by proactively introducing specific measures to help accelerate the company’s business and financial performance.

Prior to his current position, Bayo was formerly the Head of Business Intelligence and Chief Marketing Officer before proceeding on a 15 months PhD sabbatical to pursue a research work in the use of data science to solve social issues. His work was recognized at the highly acclaimed INSNA conference in California last year especially for being the first of its kind in emerging market.

As Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, MTN (2014 – 2015) he successfully led the Marketing and Strategy function managing 62 million subscribers for volume and value growth while driving revenue growth and value preservation through innovation.

He was at different times the MTN’s General Manager, Business Intelligence; Senior Manager, Strategic Insight & Information Management (Business Intelligence) and Lead Strategist (Insight/analytics and Strategy development) for MTN Group, South Africa.

Before migrating to the client’s side, Bayo paid his dues on the agency side. He started his career as a Biomolecular Research Analyst/Brand Manager with UB, thereafter he became Head, Customer Insight, Intelligence & Data Planning at One-to-One Database Marketing/Tequila121. Bayo joined DDB in 2005 as Strategy and Business Director and left the agency as Strategy Director, MTN Business Group in 2010.  Bayo authored finds time to mentor espcially the younger generation. He is the Founder/Lead Mentor, Data Science Nigeria Project and Initiator ‘NaijaShare’. The accomplished Data Scientist is the authour of ‘The Future is Shared’.

He has been at the INSEAD Business School, France, Columbia Business School, University of Reading to mention but a few.

Steve Babaeko, Chief Executive Officer/Chief Creativity Officer, X3M Ideas

Steve Babaeko, CEO/Chief Creativity Officer, X3M Ideas

Steve has garnered experience building brands across industries and markets for almost two and a half decades. Steve’s passion for creativity matches his love for challenges. He is a writer, consumer behaviour analyst, brand development expert, a motivational speaker and  a digital/ techie savvy practitioner.

Steve started his advertising career with MC&A Saatchi & Saatchi in 1995 as a young writer. He moved to Prima Garnet and then 141-Worldwide as a pioneer staff and head of Creative. Between these two agencies he invested 12 years of his life and worked as his life depended on the latter.

He stepped out in 2012 to pursue his dream by berthing the data driven / digital agency, X3M Ideas.  Five years down the line, the agency has rewritten the story of how to run an agency. The agency’s clientele cuts across industries such as telecoms, banking, Oil & Gas, FMCG, PayTV, Manufacturing and so on. The brands include – 9mobile, Dangote, Bank of Industry, Access Bank, Multichoice DSTV, Supersport, Pernod Ricard, Peak Milk to mention but a few.

Steve holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts from the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. He is an Associate member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON).

In his continuous quest for knowledge, Steve dutifully attends annually, executive training programmes in Leadership, Business, Finance, Management and Technology in leading reputable international business schools. These include prestigious Howard University Washington (2013) Columbia University (2014) Harvard University (2015) and University of Stanford USA (2016).  He has also attended a number of other leadership programmes and seminars locally and internationally.

Steve is also the founder of X3M Music, a music record label company that is focused primarily on developing young talents. X3M Music has on its label artistes like Simi and Praise.