By Peace Udugba
The CMO Circle, Nigeria’s premier invitation-only forum for Chief Marketing Officers and senior marketing executives, has announced the appointment of Iquo Ukoh and Lolu Akinwunmi as Co-Chairs for its 2026 convening.
Designed as a high-trust executive platform, the Circle brings together some of the most influential voices in marketing to shape strategy at the highest levels of business and public policy.
Convened by MarkHack in partnership with StatiSense and Brand Communicator, the CMO Circle operates at the intersection of enterprise leadership and national development.
Beyond discussions, the Circle institutionalises its influence through the quarterly CMO Index, a flagship publication that aggregates executive sentiment, market intelligence, and forward-looking insights aimed at informing policy conversations and economic decision-making.
The initiative seeks to position marketing leadership as a key contributor to Nigeria’s business environment and policy direction.
As Co-Chairs, Ukoh and Akinwunmi will oversee and lead high-level conversations centred on innovation, talent density, enterprise growth, and the evolving role of the Chief Marketing Officer within the C-suite.
Their appointments are expected to strengthen the Circle’s role as a leading authority in shaping industry thinking and executive engagement.
Ukoh, Chief Executive Officer of Entod Marketing and former Director of Marketing Services at Nestlé Nigeria, is recognised for her expertise in brand strategy, consumer engagement, and cultural storytelling.
Akinwunmi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Prima Garnet, also known as Ogilvy Nigeria, brings decades of experience advising both national and multinational brands, alongside an extensive record of leadership within the marketing communications industry.
Speaking on the announcement, Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, Convener of MarkHack and the CMO Circle, said the platform was intentionally designed to move marketing leadership beyond the boardroom into the sphere of policy influence.
According to him, the appointments of Ukoh and Akinwunmi signal a clear focus on authority, depth, and relevance, while the Circle’s quarterly convenings and CMO Index are expected to play a significant role in shaping both industry direction and policy dialogue.
The inaugural 2026 session, themed “The C-Suite Mandate: Talent Density and Marketing Leadership,” will bring together a carefully selected network of CMOs and business leaders, reinforcing the Circle’s position as a strategic forum for executive influence, peer engagement, and policy-relevant insight within Nigeria’s marketing ecosystem.
