Marketing guru Ikechukwu Innocent Kalu has joined Customer Passion Point Limited (CPPL) as a Value Creation Consultant after a successful two years stint with First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Limited, following the expiration of his contract as Vice President/Group Head, Marketing and Communications, with the financial institution.

Kalu described the period he managed the FCMB brand as “extremely rich and exciting” for him. During this period, he spearheaded innovations in customer engagement, created quality awareness for the brand and sustainably drove up both brand equity and adoption of the bank’s products and services.

Kalu’s professional and work experience spans over 30 years garnered from various blue chip firms both in Nigeria and East Africa. Interestingly, he joined FCMB at a point when the bank rechanneled its focus to retail and was charged with the responsibility to widen the brand appeal across segments to achieve the business objective. He succeeded in providing insights that led to far reaching decisions, both strategic and tactical, which accelerated the attainment of the set goals.

He said: “My personal vision for any brand I manage is to leave it better than I met it. I am delighted that this was achieved and as the bank saw positive growth in the Top of Mind Awareness, Customer Acquisition and increase in the average lifespan of its customers within the 28 months of managing the brand.”

At Customer Passion Point Limited, Kalu will be the Lead Consultant and would put his wealth of experience to bear in their commitment to help growing businesses, develop and operate profitably.

Kalu began his career with Guinness Nigeria Plc, where he spent 19 years working in different capacities spanning Production, Human Resources, Internal Audit as well as Marketing. In 2002, he joined MTN Nigeria’s Trade Marketing Department and grew very rapidly to hold senior positions including Head of Segments, Ag. General Manager (Consumer Market) and Head of Regional Marketing Operations, before he left to join Zain Nigeria (now known as Airtel) in 2008 as Head of Churn and Retention, and later as Head of Segments.

Kalu later left Airtel Nigeria to join Zanzibar Telecommunications Limited (a part of Etisalat) in Tanzania as Marketing Director and was recruited from Tanzania to work for FCMB.

•Photo shows Ikechukwu Kalu.