By Eric Elezuo
When God blesses a man, the primary intention is to see him replicate, and be a blessing to humanity on a larger scale. As a result, most men have proved God right, using the blessings, both intellectually and materially to further lighten the world’s burden and spread joy. One of such men is Mr. Rufai Gbolagade Ladipo, a fellow of the advertising practice (frpa), and a seasoned entrepreneur, who is the Group Managing Director of Agile Communications and former President, Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). Not only is he a man of means, he is a man of direction, a pathfinder and a nation builder, and presently, the Vice Chairman of Ikoyi Club 1938.
Born 67 years ago, Rufai Ladipo, who is also a fellow of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON), and due to be honoured with a meritorious award by the AAAN as part of its 50th anniversary celebration in a few days, has been a key player in the advertising industry for decades. His intimidating profile includes serving as managing director/CEO of STB-McCann for eight years. While at STB-McCann, a company he joined as an Accounts Director and eventually left as the Chief Executive Officer some few years later, leaving behind footprints indelible to erase, he played a key role at the McCann-World Group level.
A go-getter of no mean feat, Ladipo had also had a stint with Scanad Nigeria as Managing Director, leading the growth of the Agency, both in turnaround and profitability for 12 years. This was before he floated his own agency, Agile Communications in 2015, a company reportedly set up with a singular objective of providing an alternative in ‘idea generation, clear strategic thinking and providing marketing services solutions in an integrated manner’. Over the years while Agile has been in existence, Ladipo has ensured that these objectives are not deviated from, but made to see the light of the day. A feat that has brought him celebrations from people from all walks of life, including gracing the front cover of gemWOMAN magazine among many encomiums, and founding of a sister brand, PowerBrand, a digital experiential agency.
An icon in the advertising and marketing communications business sectors of the economy, Rufai Ladipo’s journey to stardom and prominence is far from the regular run-off-the-mill standard. He had exhibited dedication, focus and determination, and it’s no surprise that he is where he is today – at success door. His stewardship at various stop points in his professional career are testaments of a man who knows his onions in his chosen line of endeavour.
In 1980, a year after joining Concord Group of Newspapers, where he functioned as a Senior Reporter covering the National Assembly and later the Nigerian Airports, Ladipo left the country for the United States of America in search of the proverbial greener pastures, and returned some years later, equipped with the requisite academic qualification for growth, which has assisted in him building men and materials. While in the United States of America, he studied Journalism at the Columbia College, Chicago, one of the foremost media and visual arts colleges. While in college, he worked as a Reporter and later, an Editor at Chicago Defender, the largest circulating and most influential African-American daily newspaper, based in Chicago, Illinois. It is worthy of note that he started his career in communications in 1978 at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Ibadan, and later joined the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS) as a pioneer staff producer, in the newly created radio station, called Ile Akede.
And today, he has carved a niche for himself, sitting atop one of the nations best advertising and marketing communications company, handling briefs classified as ‘A’ brands. The company came to limelight after emerging as the official communications and creative agency for Mandilas Group Limited, after a keenly contested pitch, and ever since, has not looked back. With the right team in place, guided by a tested and proven leader, the Agile Group has gained global acclaim as a reputable IMC Agency representing the interest of major brands across Sub-Saharan Africa with commendations from clients and the prestigious LAIF Awards won by the agency across three categories in 2020
Known for his down to earth and eye for details standpoint, the ebullient GMD believe in competition and healthy rivalry for business to develop, improve and flourish, saying that there is hardly any economy in the world that can prosper without healthy, competitive and flourishing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
“They form the foundation on which a lot of world economies are built and currently generate a significant percentage of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product-GDP,” he said.
Ladipo, for years, has remained in the business of urging both public and private sectors to channel their resources towards educating and facilitating ventures that realise their full potential to the benefit of the general public, with special emphasis to his communication, marketing and branding endeavours.
“The subject of branding has been identified as a key factor in determining the viability of SMEs, as countless surveys and analysis give credence to the speculations that the rapid collapse of many ventures can be attributed to the consistent disregard for brand building,” he was once quoted as saying.
Ladipo is also an alumni of Roosevelt University, also in Chicago, where he graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Political Science. In 1985, he was hired as a marketing executive by Allstate Insurance Company in Northbrook, Illinois, USA. While there, he performed different marketing functions and was elevated three times in a space of eight years to management position.
In 1992, he moved on to the Near North Health Services Corporation (NNHS) a community health facility catering to the healthcare needs of medically disadvantaged African-Americans, Latinos and minority whites, through a U.S. Government grant, private and corporate funding partners, including support by Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA. While at NNHS, he worked as Director of Development and Public Relations charged with the sole responsibility of raising funds and managing the image of the organisation. In his spare time, he edited a Chicago-based news magazine, AFRICAN NEWSBREED, which he cofounded with another Nigerian journalist.
In 1994, he was recruited from his Chicago base to work with STB & Associates, a foremost advertising agency in Nigeria, with footprints in Ghana and Sierra Leone, as Deputy Account Director on the Coca-Cola business – a big career change that put to test his marketing communications skills.
Two years later, he was promoted to Account Director, a position he held till the turn of the century when he was named Executive Director, the first non-founder executive on the board of a leading advertising agency in West Africa. In May 1, 2003, he was named the first non-founder Managing Director, following a corporate restructuring at the Agency. And in 2005, he was named Chief Executive Officer of the thriving agency and a member of the McCann WorldGroup with locations in over 130 countries across the world. Ladipo has not failed to show class wherever his services were needed. He is a master strategist.
While at the helm, Rufai and his team improved on the fortunes of STB McCann, making the Agency a leading light in the Nigerian advertising fraternity. He was instrumental to the Agency’s business expansion and strategic partnerships with relevant companies such as CMC-Connect (Perception Managers) where he served on the Board as non-executive director following a merger that he initiated. In 2011, he was elected the President of the Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) and prior to that time, he served on the APCON (Advertisng Practitioners Council of Nigeria) for three consecutive terms and served on the Membership Committee and the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) of the regulatory body.
A well connected businessman, an advertising guru of great repute, and international citizen, his philanthropic disposition is another plus to his growing professional and social hierarchy, as his social corporate responsibility status is comparable to the best.
Modest to a fault, Ladipo gives thanks to god and colleagues for his successes over the years, adding that Agile Communications Ltd, popularly known as ‘the agency of repute’ has been a product of hard work and the grace of God. The best according to him, “is surely yet to come as Agile continues to blaze the trail in its sector.
“Our competence spans advertising, strategy, design, brand activation, media buying, consultancy, public relations, digital communications, and environmental branding.”
The brand communications and marketing professional, with well-rounded client and agency experience in managing multi-million dollar brands, is married to an equally successful and colourful wife, Mrs. Funmi Ajila-Ladipo, whose success in the turnaround of the fashion industry, as the President of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), is legendary. They are blessed with four daughters, Jaiyeola, Yewande, Omoshalewa and Olakiitan.
More Professional Courses and Honours
Ladipo has attended a wide range of advertising and marketing courses both home and abroad; and he’s an alumnus of the prestigious Lagos Business School’s Advanced Management Program (AMP) where he served the Class of 2001 as President between 2001 to 2019.
He currently sits on the Board of Junior Achievement of Nigeria (JAN); a non-profit international organisation that prepares young Nigerians for work readiness, entrepreneurship, digital and financial literacy. He is a founding Executive Director of Concentric Security, and served on the Board of Digital Reality, a printing conglomerate under the auspices of Rose of Sharon.
Ladipo remains a shinning light in the path to restoring the divine masterclass of the nation, and he has given more than his best, and continue to for the assignment.
For your doggedness, tenacity of purpose and carving a future for the younger generation, you are our boss of the week. Congratulations sir!
