Marketing and business. These two disciplines do not live in separate worlds. Rather, they are inextricably linked. A solid branding and marketing strategy is actually a solid business strategy, because you cannot have business success without the clearly defined communications roadmap of a robust marketing plan.

This understanding informs my personal vision of ensuring that marketing matters in business, to help the broader business fraternity see the power of marketing as a discipline that is integral to business strategy and positive business results.

As a founder and executive director of Africa’s leading strategic branding agency, HKLM, I have a deep-seated passion for marketing and business, and the sweet spot where these two disciplines meet. I use my role to constantly educate clients about the true business function of marketing.

I’m equally passionate about the next generation of marketers, and would love nothing more than to see these marketers emerging from institutions, and those rising up the ranks, cementing the strategic role of marketing in big business.

I want to pay it forward in this regard, and increasingly have one foot in the world of HKLM and another foot in academia, trying to give back. I’m involved with a range of business schools where I research, lecture, moderate and supervise, all in an effort to maintain the golden thread of the strategic importance of marketing along the entire breadth of the marketing value chain.

I am inspired by excellence in all its forms, and have great admiration for people who raise the bar in their field; people who are passionate about their craft and deliver great work as a result of it.

This is exactly what we as HKLM strive to achieve for our clients across the continent, as we deliver strategic, innovative branding solutions inspired by Africa and her people.