“Remember Moses Built the Ark”, a newsletter error that turned out to be a major leadership learning point for Otome Oyo.
Otome Oyo’s journey into brand management at Nestlé, is a story of curiosity, courage and continuous reinvention, rather than a straight-line corporate plan.
Trained in a different discipline and starting her career away from classical marketing, she steadily gravitated towards brands by consistently putting his hand up for projects that allowed her to understand consumers, shape narratives and deliver value at scale.
In the conversation, he reflects on early roles that were more operational than glamorous, and how they became a training ground for discipline, resilience and stakeholder management.
Rather than waiting for a “perfect” job title, he focused on solving problems around him, from improving processes to supporting campaigns, and those results opened doors into marketing and, eventually, brand ownership.
He credits mentors and line managers who were willing to take a chance on his potential; it is clear that his own preparedness, curiosity and work ethic made those opportunities count.
Now a brand manager for one of Nestlé’s flagship portfolios, he describes the role as sitting at the intersection of insight, innovation and integrity.
His day-to-day work spans interpreting data, championing the consumer in internal discussions, and keeping the brand’s purpose visible in every activation and partnership.
For Otome, sustainability is not an “add-on”, but a lens through which product relevance, community impact and long-term brand equity are evaluated.
Speaking directly to young Africans, he challenges the idea that careers must follow a rigid script.
Instead, he frames his story as proof that careers can be built by conviction, by following the work that energises you, staying faithful to small assignments, and being bold enough to step into bigger rooms when they open.
In a continent where talent is abundant but pathways are often unclear, his journey offers a grounded, hopeful blueprint for building a meaningful, impactful career in brand leadership.
