Motola Oyebanjo: How Strategic Communication Empowers Women Globally
Motola Oyebanjo serves as the Global Head of Communications at CIMMYT, one of the world's leading research organizations dedicated to advancing food security and resilience. With over two decades of professional experience, her career exemplifies a rare blend of strategic insight, creative storytelling, and a steadfast commitment to leveraging communications as a tool for measurable impact.
Educational Background and Early Career
Oyebanjo holds a degree in Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile Ife and a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Cumbria. Her professional journey began as a marketing associate in the investment sector, working for a stockbroking firm. She later joined Unilever as a Management Trainee, where she took on the role of Assistant Manager for Internal Communications, gaining early exposure to corporate reputation management, employee engagement, and crisis communication.
Expanding Influence Across Global Organizations
Over the years, Oyebanjo has built her expertise across a diverse range of global organizations, steadily expanding her influence in corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, and strategic reputation management. She joined the British Council, rising to become Head of Corporate Communications, leading stakeholder engagement, project communications, and media relations across Nigeria.
Her career continued to evolve through leadership roles at Union Bank of Nigeria, Lafarge Africa Plc, and Upfield, where she oversaw corporate affairs and communications across Africa and the Middle East. Alongside her corporate leadership roles, Oyebanjo served as Partner at AerialView Communications, advising international organizations and local institutions on market entry, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement.
Transition to International Development
Beyond the corporate sector, she has also shaped communications within international development institutions, including Heifer International and the United Nations Global Compact. These experiences ultimately positioned her for her current role as Global Head of Communications at CIMMYT.
One of her first major projects involved designing a marketing communications campaign to promote financial literacy and encourage investment habits in underserved communities. The initiative required careful audience research, partnership management, and tracking behavioral outcomes.
"I realized early on that messaging only works when it is rooted in context and informed by data. It's not just about putting words out there, it's about understanding people, communities, and organizations, and ensuring your messages resonate with them in meaningful ways," Oyebanjo explained.
Developing a Philosophy of Listening and Strategy
It was during this period that Oyebanjo developed one of her most important professional habits: listening. She learned that effective communication begins not with broadcasting messages, but with understanding stakeholders' needs, challenges, and motivations. This principle has guided her work for the past twenty years, whether in corporate, public sector, or international development contexts.
As her career progressed, Oyebanjo deliberately sought roles that would challenge her and expand her skill set. She moved into integrated communications positions that combine external stakeholder management, content strategy, media relations, agency management, internal engagement, and team leadership. Each new responsibility was an intentional step toward becoming a well-rounded communications professional capable of navigating complex organizational structures.
Combining Creativity with Strategy
During this phase, she discovered the power of combining creativity with strategy. Whether designing multimedia campaigns, overseeing social media engagement, or managing internal communication programs, Oyebanjo approached every initiative with a central question: How does this drive organizational goals while genuinely engaging the audience? This philosophy allowed her to produce communications initiatives that were innovative but also strategically effective.
Navigating Challenges and Building Resilience
No successful career is without its challenges, and Oyebanjo's journey is no exception. She often faced high-pressure situations, shifting priorities, and the complex politics of corporate and development communications. Yet, each challenge became a learning opportunity. She refined her skills in crisis communication, stakeholder negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration, always maintaining a focus on results.
One pivotal moment came during the global COVID-19 crisis, when she played a key role in a high-stakes communications effort to help the organization sustain operations while navigating rapidly changing regulations across multiple countries. The work required clear messaging, continuous stakeholder engagement, and coordination across teams and borders, all while prioritizing the safety and wellbeing of staff.
Through meticulous planning, active listening, and strategic problem-solving, Oyebanjo helped guide the organization through uncertainty and strengthened trust among partners and stakeholders, a hallmark of her leadership approach.
"Challenges are inevitable. What matters is how you respond. Each challenge taught me to anticipate, strategize, and deliver with impact," she noted.
Strategic Creativity as a Core Philosophy
Central to Motola's approach is her philosophy of strategic creativity. For her, communications is a critical lever for influence, engagement, and impact. She approaches each campaign, program, or initiative with the same deliberate mindset: balancing creative storytelling with measurable outcomes.
This philosophy is evident in the diversity of her projects. She has led initiatives ranging from employee engagement programs that boost morale and productivity to external campaigns that highlight corporate social responsibility, thought leadership, and organizational impact. In every instance, she ensures that creativity serves a purpose and that strategy informs the creative process.
"Communications is most powerful when it is both imaginative and purposeful. If you're just creative for the sake of creativity, it may inspire momentary attention, but it won't achieve long-term impact. Strategy gives your creativity a reason to exist. It connects it to measurable change, which is what makes a real difference," Oyebanjo emphasized.
Global Leadership at CIMMYT
After years of deliberate growth and consistent excellence, Oyebanjo's career reached a new milestone with her recent appointment as Global Head of Communications at CIMMYT. The role positions her at the forefront of communications for one of the world's leading agricultural research organizations, whose work directly impacts global food security and livelihoods across continents.
In this capacity, Oyebanjo will oversee how CIMMYT communicates its research, innovations, and impact to diverse audiences, from local farmers to international policymakers and donor organizations. She describes the role as both a recognition of her career-long dedication and an opportunity to demonstrate the strategic value of communications on a global scale.
"Communications is often underestimated. It is seen as tactical or supplementary, but in reality, it is central to achieving organizational impact. At CIMMYT, I look forward to showing how well-crafted messaging, thoughtful storytelling, and stakeholder engagement can accelerate outcomes that matter to millions of people," she stated.
Extending Impact Through Foundations
Parallel to her corporate and global work, Motola has invested deeply in initiatives that extend her impact. One of her most significant contributions is founding When Women Win, a foundation dedicated to empowering women through visibility, leadership development, and advocacy. The foundation is a platform for amplifying women's voices, creating networks of support, and celebrating achievements often overlooked in traditional structures.
Through When Women Win, Oyebanjo has demonstrated a belief that communication is not just a professional tool, it is a vehicle for societal transformation. By showcasing women leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, the foundation challenges narratives that limit women's opportunities and inspires the next generation to pursue leadership without hesitation.
In addition to her foundation work, Oyebanjo is building The Communication Advantage, a platform designed to advance conversations about the power of communication itself. The platform explores how strategic communications can influence behavior, drive organizational impact, and shape societal narratives. It is both an educational and thought leadership space, aimed at helping professionals, organizations, and aspiring communicators understand and leverage the full potential of the discipline.
"Too often, communication is undervalued or treated as an afterthought. The Communication Advantage is about shifting that perception and showing how thoughtful communication strategies can drive real change," she explained.
Through these two initiatives, Oyebanjo expands her influence beyond her immediate roles, creating ecosystems where women, communicators, and leaders can learn, grow, and amplify their impact.
Key Lessons from Oyebanjo's Career
Oyebanjo's career offers valuable lessons for professionals at every stage of their careers:
- Intentional Growth: Her journey reflects the power of choosing roles that expand capability, deepen perspective, and build the experience required to lead at scale.
- Cross-Functional Perspective: Her foundation in Economics and Business Administration, combined with experience across corporate communications, stakeholder engagement and content strategy has allowed her to approach communications as a strategic function that shapes organizational outcomes.
- Resilience and Continuous Learning: The communications field has evolved dramatically over the past twenty years, from traditional media to digital ecosystems, social platforms, and integrated storytelling. Oyebanjo not only adapted to these changes but often anticipated them, positioning herself at the forefront of industry trends and innovations.
- Creativity with Strategy: At the heart of her approach is the belief that effective communication combines creativity with strategy. She consistently demonstrates that the most impactful communication campaigns are those that are both imaginative and purposeful, designed not only to capture attention but to influence perception, drive engagement, and deliver results.
Motola Oyebanjo's career stands as a testament to how strategic communication can be harnessed to expand women's power and possibility, creating pathways for meaningful impact across corporate, development, and societal spheres.
