Our Woman Crush Wednesday, Vanessa Obura has made her mark in the marketing world. She is an accomplished marketing expert and thought leader who takes pride in providing the best results possible.
Her passion for marketing was nurtured during her university days where she spent significant time working on marketing strategies for organisations as part of her coursework.
With her bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management, and a decade of experience in the marketing industry, she is known for her ability to lead teams and advance strategies that transform organisations. She is particularly accomplished in the areas of sales, account management, marketing, and team management. These attributes, combined with her fluency in English and French, makes it a no-brainer that she is set to lead the francophone team for CIO Africa in the West African region.
In 2021, Vanessa founded the first-ever Africa MarTech Summit at CIO Africa. The summit, which had attendees from across Africa, was created to promote awareness of the importance of marketing and technology (MarTech). The event had partners such as Google, Oracle, and Meltwater among others. Vanessa also has YouTube show that runs on the CIO Africa YouTube channel called Let’s Talk Marketing. The show hosts marketing experts discussing several aspects of marketing and technology in Africa and worldwide.
Vanessa is also the Marketing Manager for an initiative called HerNovation. The HerNovation Convention is an annual event seeking to help close the gender gap, encourage women in tech leadership, and help women embrace and sustain technology.
In addition to her marketing career, Vanessa is also involved in community work. Especially passionate about women’s empowerment, she founded Women of Wonder (WoW) in 2012. WoW focuses on helping young women with mental wellness and training opportunities. The foundation focuses on projects such as providing sanitary towels to young girls in high school while creating awareness on mental health and offering counselling services. Vanessa is also building a network of women in marketing across Africa. Though in its nascent stage, the initiative will provide opportunities for young girls across Africa looking to thrive and succeed in the marketing industry.
Vanessa has influenced thousands of young girls as a mentor and role model. This is remarkable and inspiring, making her more than worthy of gracing our Woman Crush Wednesday page.