““I came in, and it felt like home. [I thought], this is where I want to end my career and this is where I want to make my mark.” ~ Nadja Bellan-White, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Africa
Summary: Nadja Bellan-White is the current CEO of Ogilvy. After working as senior vice president and marketing director of Publicis for a while, Bellan-White reached a point where she took a conscious step back to focus on her kids. That’s when Ogilvy, the company she had admired from afar at the start of her career, came a-calling. Bellan-White is described in the US as one of the most powerful women in advertising where she oversees over 50 markets in Africa in order to benefit their marketing strategies. In many of these markets, women are still expected to let a man lead and follow orders that are given to them. Her goal is to implement the necessary techniques to be successful, without needing to make a profit. Her achievements are extensive and she’s worked for a number of impressive clients building toward her success. As a CEO, she’s very understanding of the different lifestyles of her coworkers.
Nationality: African
Company: Ogilvy & Mather Africa
Q: How do you like to exercise control as an executive? on ethnicityinthemediaproject.weebly.com
A: There’s 24 hours in a day. If you have to come in late or you worked late or have to do something, I do not scrutinize that at all. As long as the work gets done, I don’t judge how you do it or when you do it. This applies for both her men and women employees. She sets the same ground rules, giving everyone an equal opportunity for success.
