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Today is the international women’s day.
The International Women’s Day, March 8, is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The campaign theme for International Women’s Day 2022, is: #BreakTheBias
In line with the international women’s day, Mamaj Aviation blog is celebrating some leading women holding their own in the Aviation, travel and tourism industry in Nigeria. These are women working assiduously behind the scenes, pushing boundaries and leaving a mark! Women, whose stories will inspire you…
Please introduce yourself, your name, where are you from?
My name is Aniekan Essienette , a Marketing and communication professional, a fellow of the National institute of marketing, a member of the Nigerian institute of Management, a member of the advertising Practitioners council of Nigeria and a proud indigene of Akwa Ibom Ibom state.
Give us a brief career history. What schools did you attend?
I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos. I graduated from the university of Ibadan with a degree In Library and Information studies in 2001 and a master’s degree in International Law and diplomacy from the University of Lagos in 2007. I started my career as an advertising executive as a youth corps member with Business Day Newspapers and after my youth service in 2003, I got a job with Alcatel Nigeria Ltd where I served in several sales, Marketing and communication capacities from 2003- 2013. I left Alcatel, (turned Alcatel-Lucent, now NOKIA) in 2013 for IBM West Africa as the Marketing lead for West and Central Africa. After spending 4 years and 8 months in IBM,I left to be on my own as a Marketing and communication consultant. I had a short stint with Michael and Cecilia Ibru foundation as the Executive Director of the foundation, and from there, I joined the management team of Ibom Air as the Group Manager, Marketing, and communication in April of 2020.
How many years have you spent in the Aviation industry?
My journey into aviation was also on the shoulders of my chosen career path- Marketing communication. As with everything Ibom Air, when they were ready to fill the role of a Marketing and Communication executive, they took the audacious, bold step of getting fresh eyes, by hiring someone who had no prior aviation experience. My career spans over 18 years in Marketing communication in the telecommunication and information technology space, so making the switch to aviation was also for me an audacious move and It has been an interesting journey so far. Effectively, I have been in the aviation industry since April of 2020, just around the peak of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
What is your lowest moment in your Career history?
Any healthy career journey is infused with some measure of highs and lows. Fortunately for me, I have had more highs than lows. I have never really suffered any bias on account of my gender; however, I have had to endure some consequences which the other gender may not be exposed to. I have had career opportunities pass me over on account of being pregnant or on maternity leave.
What is your most memorable moment?
Where do i begin? So one of my most memorable moments will be my first station launch. We had just resumed flight operations from the pandemic, and my first major assignment was the go-to-market strategy for the station, which included a launch event. Nothing prepared me for the water canon display welcoming the new aircraft or signaling the touchdown on a new route. For a first timer in the industry, I found it very fascinating, and I look forward to it each time.
Your role, no doubt, is very strategic and quite demanding. What strategy have you adopted to help you cope with the demands of your role and take the right business decisions?
The role of a Marketing and communication professional in today’s reality is very different from what it used to be even up to a decade ago. Public opinion has never been so powerful until social media which didn’t just give voice to but presented a platform to hear and be heard. The advent of social media is like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you can akin it to taming a hydra- headed monster. One is never too prepared, and so it is almost like a 24-hour job. On the flip side, it also presents an opportunity to have direct engagement with customers, it enables you feel their pulse good or bad, which is the upside of it because you are then able to engage with customers and so, receive feedbacks on your product and services directly.
The strategy is to stay on top of your game by consistently learning new ways of positioning the brand and ensuring the customer experience continues to be top notch. You also have to find a balance between the demand of work and know when to take a break, stay healthy, exercise and generally maintain a positive outlook.
What challenges have you encountered on the job and on your journey to the top, especially as a female?
Like I mentioned earlier, I have been very lucky in my career as I have always been considered for what I bring to the table. What others may see as a challenge is the growing expectation of the role which requires you to stay on top of your game and to ensure you are consistent in the desired outcome and expectation of the role. The challenge is to resist the urge to compete with the male folk by trying to be like them ( I once did try) going to work early, closing late, not honoring school engagement because you will be regarded as the typical feminine excuse etc. At some point I had to resist the urge of thinking I would be judged for attending one school meeting too many, taking a few days off work because one or all the kids were under the weather. The trick is not to allow your work to suffer, so if you have to pull an all-nighter to close the gap, that you do, however do not deprive your loved ones of care and family time on account of work.
How have you been able to balance work life and family?
So earlier on in my career, I got married and had three children in quick succession (3 children within 4 years, between 2006 and 2010) I was able to achieve this because I have been lucky to have a huge, ready, and willing support system in my husband, mum and mother in-law. Despite this, its been a continuous balancing act of ensuring nothing falls through the crack. School engagements, vacation, family time and still delivering on the job. Not easy, but being the reality of most women, I dare say it is achievable with the right mindset and support system.
With reference to this year’s campaign theme, what is your opinion about bias at the workplace against women? How can we change the narrative?
My first encounter with bias especially in the workplace was when I realized that in one of my past employments, a female CEO as a matter of policy, would earn less than a male CEO. Same role, same qualification, different gender. So that posed a sad reality for me. Bias identifies processes that can interrupt and redirect unconsciously biased thinking.
Assuming or attributing a gender’s career rise to anything other than dint of hard work, which a lot of woman have had to endure, invalidating their resourcefulness, talent and contributions is one form of work place that needs to be greatly discouraged.
What advice do you have for the aspiring young women out there who may want to tow your line of profession?
My profession is a very interesting one that allows me to be versatile. I can change industries; however, the rule of the profession will always be the same regardless of where you find yourself. So for me it has been a very interesting journey. For young women who want to tow the line of marketing, rest assured that an amazing world of adventure awaits you. Be innovative, don’t try to fit in, aspire to stand out. Stay on top of your profession, study any given industry, and make sure you understand the language, your target audience, and the product/ service so you can sell it using the right communication channel. Read, read, and read some more.
