ADEKUNLE ADEBIYI

Adekunle Adebiyi is an award-winning business leader dedicated to helping corporate organizations achieve scale through excellent sales growth and channel development. His strong strategic  management expertise has led him to steer the adoption of successful retail sales and distribution  models in some of Africa’s largest companies. He is highly skilled in handling revenue-creating processes, increasing market share, applying revenue-generating plans, and leading growth strategies across teams.

Winner of the Ogun State Excellence in Telecommunications Award in 2020, he has over 25 years of experience in consulting, directing sales operations, developing new businesses, telecommunications, and operations management.

He is a seasoned growth-focused and strategic thinker who has worked with brands across industries in various capacities and has led the delivery of direct to retail and territorial distribution models in the largest telecoms company in Nigeria.

Adekunle previously worked as the Chief Sales & Distribution Officer at MTN Nigeria where he provided business development strategies and championed distribution models that increased the bottom line and met organisational objectives.  His interventions were able to solve the National Identity Number (NIN) integration with SIM registration database of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and achieved over one million fresh NIN enrolment within 6 months. MTN Nigeria was the only Operator that won an award from NIMC (National Identification Management Commission) for this feat. His bold moves led to various cost cutting interventions while instilling discipline in the trade that also ensured channel members profitability. . He had previously served in the capacity of General Manager Consumer Sales and General Manager,  Northern Regional Operations.  

Prior to joining MTN, Adekunle worked in various capacities as Director of Sales at Visafone Communications Limited. He led the team that launched the CDMA network in Northern Nigeria. Visafone went on to acquire over a million active customers within 6 months of roll out.  He was Head of Commercial at Celtel Nigeria both in Lagos and Abuja; and Area Sales Manager at Livestock Feeds Plc in Benin.  He joined Econet Wireless Nigeria in 2001 at the inception of the GSM revolution in Nigeria.

He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Benin. An alumnus of the Institute of Management Development (IMD), São Paulo, Brazil, he has attended various training programmes both at home and abroad.  Adekunle has a proven background in applying global operating plans, supporting product development, customer value management, brand management and programme launches. He is currently the Executive Director of Growth and Partnerships at Itex Integrated Services iisysgroup.com, where he is currently driving revenue growth, and leading the commercial and people transformation agenda.  

He also has interests in road trips and understanding the cultural nuances of various parts of the people of Africa and . He believes in the education of the less privileged children. For four years running, he has supported up to 120 secondary school students with school fees subsidies in the 6 secondary schools in Ilaro, Ogun state.