the language of CEOs and board members
and drop the marketing jargon.
2. Follow more closely the career path of a
CEO. Seek broader managerial experience,
as well as international experience.
3. Grab any opportunity to get more
involved in business planning. “Take
a view on strategy and on the future of
the company.” Demonstrate analytical
and numerical skills - Use technology to
measure the value of marketing initiatives.
4. Build confidence through broadening
knowledge of the business issues – avoid
temptation to only comment on marketing
issues.
5. Join other boards as NED (Non-
Executive Director) wherever possible.
Gain sponsorship from the CEO and
Chairman.
6. Use key issues – innovation planning,
product development, market growth,
creating new & uncontested competition
fronts to engage and connect to wider
business issues
Sustaining Relevance
There is therefore the need to sustain
relevance once one has made it to
the corporate level. This is critical in
cementing the role of marketers at this
level. Convince boards that marketing is
the single most important source of value
creation – invest in it! Be futuristic – e.g.
prepare on how to handle millennials -
next gens at Boards, be flexible.
Embrace technology – use big data to
drive marketers’ competitive advantage at
the board. Organize and expose directors
to latest relevant ‘ways of marketing”.
Link performance with capital employed
in marketing – show real return on
investment.
Show case marketing as a driver in
translation of strategy into action and
responsiveness to changing customer
needs. Show returns, be solution
oriented. Volunteer to serve on delegated
board committees, task forces and follow
through to benefits realisation.
Own up to failures – lesson learnt. Cut
losses early and move on… Refresh your
thinking always. Be authentic, and find
mentors within or without.
In my view, we are poised for exciting
times. Marketers are easily the change
agents who can bring fresh perspectives to
boards and sustain great influence into the
future. They can easily guide the investment
analysts for projects and quantify value
creation through brands. They will guide
strategic contribution and sustainability
through innovation.
Michael Nzule is the Finance & Strategy
Director of Mitchell Cotts Freight Kenya
Limited. He holds an MBA in Accounting
with specialization in Marketing from the
University of Nairobi. He’s a member of the
Instictute of Certified Public Accountants
of Kenya (ICPAK). This is an abridged
version of the key note address delivered
at the 1st 2018 Mombasa Quiznite.
Views expressed in here-in are personal.
You can commune with him via mail at:
[email protected].
u n m a tc h e d
in q ua li ty!
Ajab Flour
ajab_flour
@ajabflour
www.grainindustries.com | Email: [email protected] | Tel: (+254) 740 111 222