Bolaji Sofoluwe has over 20 years of experience in Africa and the UK, driving market enlargement and worldwide commerce actions. Via her position as co-founder and Group Managing Director ETK (Enterprises, Commerce and Information) Group, Sofoluwe has a confirmed observe file of strategically positioning companies from start-ups to established corporates to enter and thrive inside advanced African markets.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts diploma in Languages and Linguistics from the College of Calabar, and an M. Sc in Worldwide Enterprise Management and Administration from York College of Administration, United Kingdom. Sofoluwe has led ETK’s consultants to assist world corporations make connections in 34 African international locations thus far. Her skilled profession spans numerous enterprise sizes, overlaying various sectors together with aviation, monetary providers, well being tech, oil and fuel, agriculture, luxurious, style and wonder, manufacturing.
A lecturer and entrepreneurship knowledgeable with Saïd Enterprise College at Oxford College, she can also be an Export Champion for the Division for Worldwide Commerce; a coach on the Mandela Mile; a mentor for Innovate UK Edge and an angel investor to a small portfolio of female-led African companies. Sofoluwe, who can also be a convention speaker and commerce coverage analyst, spoke to IJEOMA THOMAS-ODIA about standing out in your chosen subject as a girl whereas residing your goals.
Take us via your profession path.I began my profession on the Central Financial institution of Nigeria after which transitioned to Halifax Financial institution of Scotland in the UK earlier than leaving the banking business solely, shifting into enterprise consulting (first within the start-up house after which mid-sized corporations) throughout numerous sectors inside a number of African international locations.
My position targeted on helping these corporations in crafting enterprise plans and securing monetary, strategic and technical partnerships. This additionally included elevating their capabilities to satisfy world requirements for operational and strategic insurance policies and guaranteeing the implementation of the best constructions and processes that may make them enticing for sought-after partnerships. Subsequently, on March tenth, 2011, ETK Group was established serving to world corporations make African connections in addition to African corporations make world connections.
Your work includes strategically positioning companies to thrive inside advanced African markets; how are you attaining this?ETK Group specialises in offering strategic advisory providers to corporations aiming to enter or to broaden their operations throughout the African market. Our mission is to empower companies by facilitating commerce alternatives and discovering the best relationships to catalyse their progress. We obtain this by offering efficient technique, planning, implementation and e-consultancy to allow seamless and profitable enlargement into and throughout Africa. Our method includes thorough market analysis, cultivating native partnerships, customised market entry methods, regulatory compliance, capability constructing, threat administration, expertise integration and a dedication to sustainability. By connecting world companies with African alternatives, ETK Group goals to contribute to the expansion of the continent and develop equitable, mutually helpful enterprise relationships.
Your profession additionally cuts throughout various sectors; how has it helped you evolve? I began my work life approach earlier than my skilled profession started. I’ve all the time been self-sustaining, despite the fact that I had very supportive dad and mom. I started my work within the retail business in England – this gave me a artistic, solution-driven work ethic, fairly early on. Nevertheless, my skilled journey started on the Central Financial institution of Nigeria. This a part of my profession provided me helpful insights into coverage creation and technique formulation. On this position, I gathered data from each Anglophone and Francophone West African international locations and introduced it to senior administration. Subsequent profession strikes deepened my understanding of company governance, technique growth, and navigating operational and regulatory dangers. I gained firsthand expertise in guaranteeing every day operational processes aligned with strategic aims, emphasising the significance of sturdy measurement and monitoring for compliance. Managing distant assets throughout a number of international locations additional honed my managerial model, contributing to my general evolution throughout various sectors. The enjoyment of working in consulting is your potential to expertise completely different companies. You study quite a bit as you work together with purchasers and perceive their inner processes and their scale-up methods.
Your organisation helps world corporations make connections and is now in 34 African international locations. What has been the influence for you and the way are you strengthening world enterprise ties via your actions?Being on the forefront of fostering world connections, ETK Group has supported greater than 400 world corporations to make connections in 34 African international locations thus far. Our efforts have resulted in strengthened world enterprise ties via a multi-faceted method. By serving as a bridge between worldwide corporations and various African markets, now we have facilitated impactful collaborations and partnerships.
Our strategic advisory providers and consultancy work have empowered world companies to navigate the complexities of those markets, fostering sustainable and mutually helpful relationships. Our emphasis on expertise integration has streamlined enterprise processes, enabling seamless communication and operations throughout borders. Moreover, our dedication to sustainability aligns with world expectations, contributing to the optimistic notion of our purchasers within the worldwide enterprise group.
How can extra African companies go world? What ought to they do in another way? It’s vital to do not forget that there isn’t any one-size-fits-all method for African companies to go world. Each enterprise we work with has its personal DNA, its personal distinctive proposition and its approach of working. So, it’s key for every of them to develop a customized technique primarily based on a selected business, goal market and assets. African companies must seize the chance that this world shift is creating by considering greater and working higher. ETK is uniquely positioned to offer this recommendation and steering utilizing our distinctive methodology, which I additionally share with my college students and mentees.
In your years of observe, would you say you might be impressed with the variety of girls main in the private and non-private sectors? And what might be finished to extend or maintain this progress?If we take a look at the broader image, no. Not solely. Nevertheless, my imaginative and prescient is sort of skewed as a result of I work with a wonderful group of C-suite girls in numerous sectors/industries and I’ve learnt an incredible deal from them. I realise that there’s extra to be finished in numerous industries. So as to maintain the expansion, we have to create clearer profession pathways, and have extra feminine champions on the C-suite degree, who don’t want to sit there alone, however want to introduce and coach extra girls into administration roles and management positions.
What drives you to success?I’m primarily pushed by my want to see change. I’m eager to see a shift in world commerce fairness, in addition to linear values positioned on commodities at completely different levels of the worth chain. I’m additionally pushed by the necessity to see extra profitable black feminine CEOs, in order that others can emulate them, imagine in themselves and know that “they’ll too”.
How do you mix your many sides as a lecturer, coach and entrepreneur and nonetheless be at your greatest?I’ve an unimaginable staff and I’m safe sufficient to delegate. They are going to make errors, we’ll repair it and we’ll transfer on. I’m not the fountain of all information so I’m nonetheless studying myself; so if I don’t enable others to study, then I might have failed as a pacesetter.
I additionally need to be very organised and preserve a really strict diary. I’ve a well-known saying “If it isn’t within the diary, it’s not taking place.” In fact, this doesn’t cease me from being spontaneous, but it surely helps me align my numerous roles and hats – an important of which is being a spouse, mom, daughter, sister and buddy.
How can we get extra girls to turn into profitable and rise to the highest as you’ve got finished? What suggestions do you’ve got for younger ladies?My main tip for ladies is “Know thyself, then specialise.” Be sure to know every thing that must be identified about your subject. Be glorious and your presents and skills will converse for you, and can open doorways for you.
What key classes have you ever discovered in your years of observe and influence?The primary key lesson is to be genuine. I’ve discovered which you can be daring and admit that you might have a information hole in a sure space – so long as you make an try to plug that hole.I’ve additionally been uncovered to my flaws and I’ve been proactive about getting assist to repair them. Get a mentor; be a part of a mastermind group; learn. Do what it’s essential to.
What do you hope to see African girls do in another way?If I’m trustworthy, nothing! We’re killing it on the market. We should muster the braveness to take dangers the place we are able to, and the boldness to do huge issues. I want to see extra female-led acquisitions, and extra collaborations – significantly in terms of taking the worldwide market/house. There’s undoubtedly power within the sisterhood.