As Usual, Otudeko Leads By Example
During one of my previous lives, I had the distinctive honour of working very closely with Mr. Obafoluke Ot
udeko, the Chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Honeywell Group and many other blue-chip organizations. Obafoluke was, and still is, a very remarkable man, whose work ethic in his sixties would easily put most twenty-five year old men (including myself) to shame. Six, seven years ago, It was not unusual for him to, in one day, start working from his Ibadan home, then proceed to Lagos, Port Harcourt and finally retiring for the day at Abuja at a time most people would have been enjoying the 2nd or 3rd hour of their night sleep.
When asked why he pushed himself so hard, “Oba”, as he was fondly called, always responded that while some people were called by God to be prophets and pastors, his own calling was to work hard to create work and wealth for the many people that depended on him.
I was therefore not very surprised when I was informed that Oba’s Honeywell Group (no relation to American firm of the same name) had taken what I consider its flagship, Honeywell Flour Mills Limited to the Nigerian Stock Market in an IPO that I am very certain will be oversubscribed. Oba has always been a bit of a closet contrarian, hence his bold decision to take the company public at a time fainter-hearted parties were scurrying from the market, was typical.
The man, I think, has always nursed an unquenched desire to immortalize himself by building a company that would far outlive him, and possibly his own children; an attempt to avoid the fatal errors that had befallen many of the Nigeria rich men of yesteryears, whose names and businesses died soon after they did. Bringing his baby, Honeywell Flour Mills to the stock market might just be the first step in this very bold and audacious plan to build what I think he used to call “The Living Company”. It also shows him leading by example, by putting his money where his mouth is, and putting his own company in the same stock market which he captains. Show me a better example of faith and belief.
I wish Oba and the Honeywell Flour great success with this offer. I’ll purchase whatever little quantities of it that I can muster, and implore you to do the same.
On the Marketing Communications campaign for the Honeywell Flour Mills IPO, I think Oba selected the best firm for the job. ‘Biodun Shobanjo’s Troika Group (Insight Communications, Quadrant Reputation Management etc.) has done an excellent job thus far with the Honeywell Flour Mills brand. The campaign, despite one or two very minor hiccups, has been excellently executed. The use of publicity has been great, with excellent use of background stories, well-placed photos, interviews with Oba himself and fantastic endorsements from fellow juggernauts in the rarefied area of the Nigerian Corporate Boardroom.
udeko, the Chairman of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Honeywell Group and many other blue-chip organizations. Obafoluke was, and still is, a very remarkable man, whose work ethic in his sixties would easily put most twenty-five year old men (including myself) to shame. Six, seven years ago, It was not unusual for him to, in one day, start working from his Ibadan home, then proceed to Lagos, Port Harcourt and finally retiring for the day at Abuja at a time most people would have been enjoying the 2nd or 3rd hour of their night sleep.When asked why he pushed himself so hard, “Oba”, as he was fondly called, always responded that while some people were called by God to be prophets and pastors, his own calling was to work hard to create work and wealth for the many people that depended on him.
I was therefore not very surprised when I was informed that Oba’s Honeywell Group (no relation to American firm of the same name) had taken what I consider its flagship, Honeywell Flour Mills Limited to the Nigerian Stock Market in an IPO that I am very certain will be oversubscribed. Oba has always been a bit of a closet contrarian, hence his bold decision to take the company public at a time fainter-hearted parties were scurrying from the market, was typical.
The man, I think, has always nursed an unquenched desire to immortalize himself by building a company that would far outlive him, and possibly his own children; an attempt to avoid the fatal errors that had befallen many of the Nigeria rich men of yesteryears, whose names and businesses died soon after they did. Bringing his baby, Honeywell Flour Mills to the stock market might just be the first step in this very bold and audacious plan to build what I think he used to call “The Living Company”. It also shows him leading by example, by putting his money where his mouth is, and putting his own company in the same stock market which he captains. Show me a better example of faith and belief.
I wish Oba and the Honeywell Flour great success with this offer. I’ll purchase whatever little quantities of it that I can muster, and implore you to do the same.
On the Marketing Communications campaign for the Honeywell Flour Mills IPO, I think Oba selected the best firm for the job. ‘Biodun Shobanjo’s Troika Group (Insight Communications, Quadrant Reputation Management etc.) has done an excellent job thus far with the Honeywell Flour Mills brand. The campaign, despite one or two very minor hiccups, has been excellently executed. The use of publicity has been great, with excellent use of background stories, well-placed photos, interviews with Oba himself and fantastic endorsements from fellow juggernauts in the rarefied area of the Nigerian Corporate Boardroom.
posted by Folabi @ 10:36 pm
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