Dr. Ken Ikpe is a thoroughbred professional and he makes no pretence about it. His earnestness when talking advertising, marketing, and communications within a few minutes of meeting him leaves you feeling invigorated as his in-depth knowledge is inexhaustible.
His life story will intrigue you. “My life has been interesting,” he begins.
“I am probably one per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. Inspiration is what you can get from miracles, testimonies and prayers, while perspiration is what you get from hard work. I think that the brand, Dr. Ken, is not an accident, the accidental part of me is that I did not choose where I was going to be born and into whose family I was going to be born.”
Born in Kano exactly 50 years ago, the native of Nekede, Owerri West Local Government Area in Imo State had his life somewhat altered by the civil war.
“When the civil war broke, my dad had to come to Lagos and from there, to the South-East. When the war ended, I came back to Lagos in 1970. So, primarily, I am a city boy. However, my father made sure he took me back to the East for my secondary education to understand and appreciate the language plus the way of life of our people,” he says.
A beneficiary of government scholarship, he however admits he was fortunate to have studied abroad.
“My parents realised that I could save them some penny, which they could use to train my other siblings. As the second of seven children (the first son) my parents made me discover early that I could take the federal government scholarship, he adds.
His educational sojourn abroad took all of 13 years during which he bagged a doctorate degree.
“I had my university education at Donetsk State University. It used to be in USSR but now in Ukraine. I did my masters degree there and bagged a doctorate degree at Institute of African Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences, Moscow between my 28th and 29th birthday,” he states.
He did not realise the enormity of his achievement until his father drummed it in.
He says, “I did not even know the value and essence until he sat me down and said, I had to learn how to behave differently to justify my level of educational achievement. That advice helped me fashion out early what exactly I wanted out of society and life. I realised that I needed an environment where I could contribute my opinion, where my opinion, will matter. I quickly discovered an industry where I could become the head of a goat instead of the tail of an elephant and that was how advertising and marketing communications came to be.”
However, he is quick to draw a co-relation between economics and what he currently practises.
“Having worked for Shell as a competitor analyst during and one year after my NYSC programme, I ran into owners of the Troyka Group in 1994 or 1995 and that fortunately made me realise that there was life outside economics.
“However, I use the knowledge I have in economics to deal with that area of life and excel. What do I mean? Marketing is about creating a customer and then developing communication to build affinity that can translate to trial purchase. So, if you cannot define the economics of a customer which is supposedly from his or her demographics , mobility, or living standard measurements, which are pure economic indices, that means that you cannot create targeted communications.
“My foray into marketing communication was to develop strategic planning; my knowledge in economics has not gone to waste. It has given me an unjust advantage over and above whoever read the liberal arts,” he says with a smile.
Just like a journey, he describes it as a thrilling experience, one which he relishes.
“I have been in marketing communications and in Troyka Group for 18 years; 12 of which I have been the CEO of Mediacom Nigeria. Mediacom Nigeria is a member of the Troyka Group. I am paid for doing what I enjoy and working for one group for this long is not for lack of opportunities because if you check the level of knowledge and experience acquired, I could have availed myself of other opportunities in other sub-sectors. But I found a company that can genuinely give me the opportunity to maximise my potentials. I cannot tell you to what extent I am maximising my potential but I can tell you that I am deeply satisfied.”
He also lectures part-time at the Pan African University.
“First and foremost, you cannot have a doctorate and not impart knowledge. You would have wasted a huge part of yourself and you would have denied society the privilege of learning those things that are essential. Do not forget I got a lot from the federal government and Nigeria by way of scholarship. I thought I must find a platform to express appreciation. For me, that is the propeller. I lecture part-time at the School of Media and Communication, Pan African University; provided I can balance my work, remain productive and efficient. I teach strategy, marketing and brand management,” he states.
Not one to be discouraged by the dangerous terrain that characterises politics, he sums it up this way:
“Business is murky, it is also dangerous. The only difference between politics and business is that you find more organised and strategic people in private business. By the way, if you do not buy a ticket, you do not win a lottery. If at my age I cannot muster up the courage, then it is sad.”
Talking about his wife is one topic that causes a smile to dance around his lips.
“I have a fantastic wife and she is a top professional like me. She is an achiever in her chosen career. She has a masters degree in law and has done banking for 22 years. As I speak to you now, she is an executive director in a Nigerian bank. I have four kids in all and we are a strong, well-knit family.
“I searched for her. I defined what I wanted in a woman and then I looked for a woman and ticked boxes and once she filled those boxes, I proposed to her. We got married 10 years ago,” he says.
A busy CEO, does he find the time to relax?
“I am highly compartmentalised. From six in the morning till six in the evening, you will see Dr. Ken. That means work, and I am ruthless about it. After 6.00pm, I begin to shut down and you will see Ken. I don’t have too many friends but I have a lot of acquaintances. I make sure they are diversified; from medicine, law, engineering, philosophy, etc. I have a bottle of beer or two and I like to interrogate other people’s intelligence. I also watch football. I have been an arsenal supporter for 20 years and I love the team dearly,” he replies.
Style, for him, is essential and he makes a big fuss about it, “If there is anything called world class, then that is the button I push with ruthless consistency. It has nothing to do with my profession, if I were to be a doctor or engineer; it would be the same thing because I inherited that from my parents. I just think that a man must realise that the word, dress, comes from address. You are addressed by the way you dress. Even the choice of my sleeping garment must be world class. It pains me when I see people who do not realise that. I am in the business of building images and you cannot give what you do not have.”
Although an achiever himself, certain persons, he confesses, helped shaped his life.
He says, “My mom is responsible for the disciplined part of my life and organisation. My dad helped with character and presentation. Then, in the area of work and achievement, Biodun Sobanjo. I think he is a quintessential businessperson.”
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