Renown for strategy, sales and marketing, with a background in engineering, the Co-founder and Executive Director, Doqaru Limited, an Aberdeen-based sales and marketing consultancy, Yekemi Otaru is on the next flight to greater heights with her appointment as the new Chancellor-elect of the University of West Scotland. Yinka Olatunbosun writes
The announcement of Yekemi Otaru as the Chancellor-elect of the University of Scotland was received with so much excitement by Nigerians across the globe. Otaru is expected to take up the role on September 1, succeeding Dame Elish Angiolini. Described as a “tireless passionate supporter of women in business,” the Nigerian-British entrepreneur has been a trailblazer in innovative business marketing practice. The first of three children of Dr Raphael and Mrs Sarah Awoseyin of Ayedun in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State, her younger siblings are Mrs Adenike Onyia, a geologist and educationist based in the UK and Raphael Segun Awoseyin, a software professional based in France.
Named of 40 under 40 business innovators by Scottish Business News in 2016, Otaru is a B2B Marketer with a strategic focus. She works with start-ups, SMEs and large corporate organisations in the Software, IT, Engineering, Business Support, Recruitment and Oil & Gas sectors. She ran her first marketing consultancy company, YO! Marketing, for nearly three years and served over 20 clients before launching Doqaru Limited, the product of a merger in November 2018.
Otaru had always had a knack for creativity. Weaned on poetry and prose, she was encouraged to study engineering by her parents. She obtained her first of four degrees in Chemical Engineering, worked in an oil and gas company as a petroleum engineer while she was still trying to figure out what she really wanted to become. She got curious as to why people sell certain products to certain customers. She was an atypical engineer- extroverted and creatively-inclined. Many engineers thought she was different, if not annoying. Fortunately for her, she had very accommodating managers who allowed her to explore other areas of business. That was the birth of her passion for marketing.
With that background in engineering, she approaching marketing with technical knowledge and an analytical mind. In time, she developed her expertise around marketing.
“I was always looking for new ways of doing things,’’ she said in a televised interview. “I was interested in designs. I am a communicator and I had always written. I don’t think I would have got that opportunity anywhere else.’’
Nonetheless, that transition was a very difficult for her but equipped with an MBA (distinction) with a specialty in change management and marketing in a high tech company. She deployed her data-driven tools into sales and marketing consultancy. Otaru is on the board at Interface, a public sector backed establishment helping Scottish businesses work more closely with academic institutions to drive innovative projects. She has over 14 years of experience in petroleum engineering, technical sales and strategic marketing roles.
Having previously worked for Schlumberger, GE Oil & Gas and Lloyd’s Register with an added panache of MSc (Distinction) in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Otaru is also a best-selling author on social networks. She is passionate about supporting girls in STEM, mentoring business owners in the poorest countries, photography and creative writing. She is interested in mentoring women with a technical background who want to develop business and commercial acumen as part of their career progression plan.
One of the challenges for her back then as an engineer was that she didn’t see a role model- a formidable female engineer at the helm of innovative solutions or anything within that perimeter. But today, her career progression has been inspirational for many women professionals, especially the younger generation.
As chancellor, she will hold formal powers to confer degrees, diplomas and other academic distinctions, and will represent UWS at key events as an advocate and dignitary.
She said: “I am honoured to have been appointed chancellor-elect of University of the West of Scotland, following in the footsteps of a remarkable individual in Dame Elish Angiolini.
“We are all living through challenging times, and higher education plays a vital role in society and for our economy. I eagerly look forward to being part of the university, as it continues to carry out world-class research and knowledge transfer initiatives such as in the areas of healthcare and sports science.”
Professor Craig Mahoney, principal and vice-chancellor at UWS, added: “Yekemi’s values very much align with those of UWS, from her passion for advancing equality, diversity and inclusion to her commitment to enterprise, and her appointment is reflective of our strategic mission to make a positive difference to wider society.
“Yekemi is a remarkable example of entrepreneurship and a tremendous role model for our students and wider university community. I am delighted to welcome her to the UWS family.
“I would also like to pay tribute to Dame Elish Angiolini, who has been an outstanding chancellor and ambassador for the university. I am deeply grateful for the committed and inspirational role she has played in our UWS community.”
