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Obiajulu Uzoigwe is a marketing and retail professional with a BA in Linguistics from the University of Benin, and a diploma certificate from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, Nigeria. She is currently Head, Retail Leasing at Broll Property Services Limited (Broll Nigeria). CN: What other work experience do you have? Prior to my current role I was Retail Leasing Consultant, and before I joined Broll Nigeria I was Senior Project Manager, and Assistant Manager Channel Management, at a couple of firms. I also worked as a client service executive at a PR and Advertising agency a decade ago, before joining another integrated marketing communications agency as Senior Associate. CN: What are your primary responsibilities in your current role? I currently head the retail leasing division, which means I am responsible for the establishment and execution of business development goals and objectives. I am also responsible for developing and implementing effective strategic plans, budgets, policies and procedures in Retail Leasing, as well as ensuring effective close coordination with executive management to develop strategic relationships with key customers and external partners. CN: What do you like most about your job? It allows me meet people. It’s always evolving — always changing.  It leaves me feeling a sense of accomplishment when I am up against a deadline with only one shot to get it right and it turns out better than we could have imagined.  CN: What challenges have you faced as a woman in the corporate environment? The corporate environment is very fast paced, requires long hours, and comes with numerous deadlines; there is a whole lot of pressure to deal with. Women are still somewhat perceived as being physically unable to handle the pressure that the corporate environment presents and this has been a major challenge for me. There is also the challenge of balancing work as a very passionate person with family and personal life. When you are passionate about your work, your organisation can see it; that means more responsibilities, more work and longer hours. It then becomes increasingly difficult not to let yourself miss out on significant aspects of your life. CN: What do you consider to be the best career decision you’ve ever made? Joining Broll. Within 4 years, I was appointed as the Head of the Retail Leasing Division, a role that has changed my life and brought my unique abilities to the fore. CN: How would a young person prepare for a career in retail leasing?   I would say the young person should be driven, passionate about their job, have good negotiation skills, and also have great interpersonal and communication skills, which is critical for relationship management in this type of business. CN: What advice do you wish someone had given you as an undergraduate? Follow your passion and never give up even when things do not go as expected. CN: If there were any other career you would choose, what would it be?   I would be an artist (painter & sculptor) or an architect. CN: What’s your personal philosophy? Listen… Adapt… deliver!
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This article was first published on 20th June 2017

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Joy Ehonwa is an editor and a writer who is passionate about relationships and personal development. She runs Pinpoint Creatives, a proofreading, editing, transcription and ghostwriting service. Email: pinpointcreatives [at] yahoo.com

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