Nigeria’s Chiejina, Others Make ‘2024 Influence 100’ List

Global PR firm Provoke Media has listed the Group Head of Corporate Communications, Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, as one of the “100 most influential communications and marketing executives in the world 2024.”

The organisation noted that corporations and brands continue to face intense consumer, media and stakeholder scrutiny against the “permacrisis” backdrop of major geopolitical, economic, societal, cultural and environmental upheaval around the world.

“And their senior communications and marketing executives are expected to deliver more than ever, faster than ever. Meanwhile, smart CEOs recognise that trusted communications counsel is not only integral to reputation and transformation but is business-critical in such uncertain times — and the 100 names on our 2024 list provide ample evidence of this recognition,” it added.

Chiejina was selected alongside 99 other communications and marketing executives of highly rated government agencies, global corporations and conglomerates.

Chiejina made the enviable list alongside Zenia Mucha, Chief Brand & Communications Officer
TikTok; Vanessa Broadhurst, EVP, Global Corporate Affairs, Johnson & Johnson; Valerie Tan, SVP Corporate Communications, CSR & Media, Emirates; Steve John, Chief Communications & Brand Officer,
HSBC; Sally Susman, EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Pfizer, and Sandy Rodriguez,
Global Chief Communications Officer,
McDonalds.

Also on the list are Abhinav Kumar, Global Chief Marketing Officer, TCS; AJ Jones, EVP, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Starbucks; Alex Aiken, Communications Advisor, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Allyson Park, Chief Communications Officer, Walmart; Amy Bonitatibus, Chief Corporate Affairs & Communications Officer, PayPal; Andreas Bartels, Head of Communications, Lufthansa, and Bea Perez, EVP, Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer, Coca-Cola, among others.

Anthony Chiejina graduated from the University of Lagos in 1981 with a B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Mass Communication (Second Class Upper). He has thereafter bagged various other academic degrees, including an M.Sc in Industrial Relations & Personnel Management University of Lagos (1984), an M.A. in Organisational Analysis & Behaviour University of Lancaster, UK (1988) and an M.A. Development Studies, Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, Netherlands (1994).

He served variously as Associate Editor & Deputy Editor of both African Economic Digest, London and African Concord, Lagos. He has worked with Zenith Bank Plc as Assistant General Manager (AGM) and Oceanic Bank International Plc as Deputy General Manager (DGM) where he was the Group Head, Corporate Communications.

He is currently the Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Dangote Industries Limited overseeing all communications strategies across Business Units and Pan-African operations.

He received numerous academic distinctions and awards including Salzburg Fellow for Gifted Mid-Career Professional, Austria; British Government Scholarship (ODASS) for Graduate Studies, UK, Netherlands Fellowship; University of Lagos Scholar 1982 and 1984; University of Oslo, Norway, Fellowship; Fellow of Oxford University Centre of Corporate Reputation; Member, America Public Relations Association and British Public Relations Association, Associate, Institute of Directors (IoD), and Fellow, Association of Sustainability Professionals of Nigeria (ASPN).

LEADERSHIP reports that The Influence 100 is PRovoke Media’s annual compilation of the most influential in-house communicators around the world: the chief communications officers and chief marketing officers who have the most clout in terms of their personal voice, the status of the companies they work for, and the PR agency hiring decisions they make.