The Grey Africa Network sets its Vision 2020 at the Phambili Africa annual conference

“Through intense collaboration between Grey Africa network agencies and a focus on culturally relevant creativity, we will continue our rapid growth trajectory across the region to achieve our pan-African ambitions.” These sentiments were echoed by special guest speakers, Nirvik Singh, Grey Group AMEA Chairman and CEO, who re-iterated Grey Global’s support for the region and Per Pedersen, Grey Group Global Creative Chairman, who believes it is Africa’s time to flex its creative muscle on a global stage.

“Grey continues to scale across the continent, with coverage in 39 markets in Africa and the Middle East and majority equity ownership in nine of the top markets,” states Jackson. At this year’s gathering, Phambili Africa welcomed a heavyweight delegation from Grey agencies across the region including: Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Phambili is derived from isiZulu, which means to go forward. It is time for Africa to reimagine a future filled with arts, technology, science and business innovations that are steeped in cultural aesthetic. The objective for the Phambili Africa conference has been to future-focus the Grey network and ensure that it is set up for these future opportunities. Over the three days, we shared insights, best-practice thinking and growth opportunities centred around the theme of creativity to solve business problems.

A number of external speakers also shared their views on Africa’s future opportunities including guests from Uber, NBA, GroupM, Kantar, AbInbev, DFX and Mereto.

“Grey Worldwide operates with the mindset of a 100-year-old start-up – hungry, ambitious, entrepreneurial and open to driving continual transformation. If we always operate in this way, we will continue to be recognised as one of the most progressive, pioneering creative companies in the world.”

Some of the delegates attending the Phambili Africa conference:

Grey Nigeria, Tola Obi, COO - CentrespreadGREY

Tola Obi is the Chief Operating Officer of CentrespreadGREY as well as the CEO of Interactive Communication Team Limited, a digital marketing communications agency in Lagos, Nigeria. Tola is a valuable leader in that she is able to provide quality management and leads with clear vision. Having infused these attributes into her leadership, she has helped position the organisation as one of the most influential communication agencies in the country, recently being recognized as the Nigerian Agency of the Decade. Tola has worked on coveted brands such as Money Gram, VAIDS, L’Oreal, KIA, Kasepreko, Thermocool and Airtel.

Grey Mauritius, Hans Puttur Founder and Director

Hans is a Fellow Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing with over 15 years’ experience in advertising, marketing and communication. His expertise lies not only in communication strategies and strategic planning but also in his flair for new businesses and branding. Hans believes in effective advertising that creates lasting consumer connections and elevates brands to unexpected heights and fame. His industry experience includes Gamma, Loterie Nationale, Farmland, Sicom, Mauritius Telecom, Hyundai, Anchor, Anlene and more. Entrepreneurial by nature, Hans has also started Happy Frog Ltd. which is, the first company in Mauritius to successfully produce and air the world-acclaimed reality TV show, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.

Grey Africa Network SSA Coordinator – Dele Odugbemi

The ongoing development of the Grey Africa Network in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is championed by Dele Odugbemi, a coordination specialist with proven abilities in overseeing multi-market outputs, vital to the maintenance of Grey’s quality and value standards. Deleregularly visits and works across the SSA partner markets as Grey Africa’s executive regional network coordinator and is well suited to this role having lived and worked throughout the region in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ghana, successfully managing brands like Coca-Cola, Multichoice, MTN, SA Tourism and Diageo.