Full Name
Margaret Olele
Job Title
CEO
Company
American Business Council Nigeria
Speaker Bio
Margaret Obiageli Olele is currently the Chief Executive Officer/ Executive Secretary of the American Business Council (ABC) in Nigeria. Prior to this role she was the Corporate Affairs director for Pfizer in West, East and Southern African Markets responsible for public affairs and communication engagements , led the Access, Key Accounts, Tenders and Institution Business in addition to the Corporate Affairs role.
She has over 30 years’ experience engaging governments in Africa on behalf of private sector and 25 years leadership experience in the Food and Pharma Industry traversing Government Affairs, Business Development, regulatory, communication, Quality Management system auditing across sub- Saharan Africa. Margaret has provided expertise to Government Agencies including the technical standards and National Codex Alimentarius Committees of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, the Vetting and compliance Panel of Nigeria Advertising Regulatory Agency in charge of vetting all advertising and communication materials and more recently National Office of Technology, Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP). She has also provided expertise and capacity building advisory to patient Advocacy Groups, Chambers, Women, trade and industry associations on growth and expansion strategies. Some of these include the Africa Pharmaceutical Forum, International Alliance for Patient Associations (IAPO Africa), AMCHAM Cameroon AMCHAM Mali, and Wimbiz.
Margaret hosts the American Business Council Podcast, The Business Exchange : How Business Works” and uses this platform to highlight key policy issues impacting private sector, promote visibility of Leaders especially female leaders and entrepreneurs who are contributing to the different sectors of business and the Nigerian economy. Margaret is a fellow of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria, the highest award of the Advertising Profession in Nigeria. She has a BA in English and Literature, MA in English, and a MSc. in Mass Communication specializing in Public Relations and Advertising. She is an adjunct Faculty teaching Brand strategy and communication at the graduate school of Media and Communication of the Pan Atlantic University.
She played key roles in the Pharma industry working with different government committees and Trade Associations including the Advertising Standards Panel of the Advertising Regulatory Agency in Nigeria (APCON), BASCAP Nigerian Taskforce, and The Nigerian Representative of Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (NIROPHARM) where she served as an executive and championed Publicity initiatives.
Margaret has over 26 years’ experience in Food and Pharma industry and in July 2010 joined Pfizer as an Associate Director, Public Affairs and Communication and by 2012 became a Director in the same role. From 2013 - 2017 she had add on roles to her Corporate Director role including Director Tenders and Institutions, Health and Value Director and infused her experience in the area of Public Affairs, providing fresh insights into the opportunities around Tender Business in the Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
She worked with global teams and was the Key Contact point for Global and regional Corporate Affairs projects in SSA including the Access and Affordability Project in Ghana -an initiative to improve access to quality medicines for non- communicable diseases/ Health system strengthening, and the SSA Sickle Cell Project as examples.
She was directly in charge of building Pfizer’s reputation in African communities through unique in-country CSR initiatives, Government engagement, strengthening partnerships with Pharmacy Associations across major countries and mobilizing and empowering Patient Associations including training IAPO members in Africa.
She worked for sixteen years with West African Seasoning Company, part of Ajinomoto Group, Japan. Margaret set the pace in this company's diversification into East Africa and held at various times the position of General Manager for Marketing, Regulatory, New Product Development, Public Relations and Corporate Communication.
Margaret began her career in the Pioneer Private broadcast media in Nigeria, Clapperboard Network Television
She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Literature, a Masters of Arts Degree in English from the University of Ibadan Nigeria, a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a Masters’ of Science Degree in Mass Communication specializing in Public Relations and Advertising from the same University.
She trained at the British Standard Institute, United Kingdom as an internal Auditor for Quality Management System ISO 9001.2000, as well as Environmental Management Systems ISO 1800.
Margaret is a Certified National Quality Management Auditor of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, a member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria.
She was the Executive Secretary of the key Food Lobby Group Association- the Monosodium Glutamate Association of Nigeria and the first Female Vice President of the Technical Committee, Food and Beverage Trade Association. She represented the Food Group at Nigeria National Codex Alimentarius Committee, a committee involved in the setting of National Standards for Food and Food related products.
She is an adjunct Faculty teaching Brand strategy and communication at the graduate school of Media and Communication Pan Atlantic University and sits on the Advisory Board of Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF).
She has over 30 years’ experience engaging governments in Africa on behalf of private sector and 25 years leadership experience in the Food and Pharma Industry traversing Government Affairs, Business Development, regulatory, communication, Quality Management system auditing across sub- Saharan Africa. Margaret has provided expertise to Government Agencies including the technical standards and National Codex Alimentarius Committees of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, the Vetting and compliance Panel of Nigeria Advertising Regulatory Agency in charge of vetting all advertising and communication materials and more recently National Office of Technology, Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP). She has also provided expertise and capacity building advisory to patient Advocacy Groups, Chambers, Women, trade and industry associations on growth and expansion strategies. Some of these include the Africa Pharmaceutical Forum, International Alliance for Patient Associations (IAPO Africa), AMCHAM Cameroon AMCHAM Mali, and Wimbiz.
Margaret hosts the American Business Council Podcast, The Business Exchange : How Business Works” and uses this platform to highlight key policy issues impacting private sector, promote visibility of Leaders especially female leaders and entrepreneurs who are contributing to the different sectors of business and the Nigerian economy. Margaret is a fellow of the Advertising Practitioners’ Council of Nigeria, the highest award of the Advertising Profession in Nigeria. She has a BA in English and Literature, MA in English, and a MSc. in Mass Communication specializing in Public Relations and Advertising. She is an adjunct Faculty teaching Brand strategy and communication at the graduate school of Media and Communication of the Pan Atlantic University.
She played key roles in the Pharma industry working with different government committees and Trade Associations including the Advertising Standards Panel of the Advertising Regulatory Agency in Nigeria (APCON), BASCAP Nigerian Taskforce, and The Nigerian Representative of Overseas Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (NIROPHARM) where she served as an executive and championed Publicity initiatives.
Margaret has over 26 years’ experience in Food and Pharma industry and in July 2010 joined Pfizer as an Associate Director, Public Affairs and Communication and by 2012 became a Director in the same role. From 2013 - 2017 she had add on roles to her Corporate Director role including Director Tenders and Institutions, Health and Value Director and infused her experience in the area of Public Affairs, providing fresh insights into the opportunities around Tender Business in the Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.
She worked with global teams and was the Key Contact point for Global and regional Corporate Affairs projects in SSA including the Access and Affordability Project in Ghana -an initiative to improve access to quality medicines for non- communicable diseases/ Health system strengthening, and the SSA Sickle Cell Project as examples.
She was directly in charge of building Pfizer’s reputation in African communities through unique in-country CSR initiatives, Government engagement, strengthening partnerships with Pharmacy Associations across major countries and mobilizing and empowering Patient Associations including training IAPO members in Africa.
She worked for sixteen years with West African Seasoning Company, part of Ajinomoto Group, Japan. Margaret set the pace in this company's diversification into East Africa and held at various times the position of General Manager for Marketing, Regulatory, New Product Development, Public Relations and Corporate Communication.
Margaret began her career in the Pioneer Private broadcast media in Nigeria, Clapperboard Network Television
She has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Literature, a Masters of Arts Degree in English from the University of Ibadan Nigeria, a Post Graduate Diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos and a Masters’ of Science Degree in Mass Communication specializing in Public Relations and Advertising from the same University.
She trained at the British Standard Institute, United Kingdom as an internal Auditor for Quality Management System ISO 9001.2000, as well as Environmental Management Systems ISO 1800.
Margaret is a Certified National Quality Management Auditor of the Standard Organization of Nigeria, a member of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria.
She was the Executive Secretary of the key Food Lobby Group Association- the Monosodium Glutamate Association of Nigeria and the first Female Vice President of the Technical Committee, Food and Beverage Trade Association. She represented the Food Group at Nigeria National Codex Alimentarius Committee, a committee involved in the setting of National Standards for Food and Food related products.
She is an adjunct Faculty teaching Brand strategy and communication at the graduate school of Media and Communication Pan Atlantic University and sits on the Advisory Board of Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF).
Speaking At
