Bukayo Ewuoso, Head of Business at Pisi, reflects on the unique journey that shaped his leadership path. He opens up about the key moments and decisions that forced him to grow, adapt, and tackle challenges head-on. From choosing roles that pushed his limits to leading a variety of teams, Bukayo shares the valuable lessons he’s learned along the way.
He also offers practical advice on how to confidently ask for a raise or promotion, highlighting the importance of backing up your request with proof of your contributions. Plus, he explains why making a habit of advocating for your own growth at work is essential for long-term success.
If your career journey were a movie, what would the title be and why?
Honestly, my career journey reminds me of the Avengers. Any of the Avengers, really, because each person had a unique skill or specialisation, but they only truly found themselves by working together as a team. That mix of teamwork and self-discovery really resonates with me.
For me, joining communities, trying out different roles, learning on the go; that’s where the self-discovery happened. Just like the Avengers, I didn’t start out knowing exactly what I wanted to be, but by doing different things and being part of something bigger, I figured it out along the way.
You’ve worked across marketing, brand strategy, and product development; how did you find your way into tech, and what pulled you in?
I started while I was still at the University of Lagos, but what really kickstarted my journey was a Google Digital Live Bytes session I attended. That experience opened the door to the world of digital marketing for me.
From there, I started self-learning, taking online courses like Google Digital Garage (now Skillshop) and gradually picking up technical skills. While in my third or fourth year of university, I began working as a social media manager. I studied real estate, but I never practiced, so I knew real estate wasn’t the path I wanted to take.
Right after graduation, before NYSC, my course adviser reached out and invited me to work at the school’s research center, CHSD. There, I managed website content, promoted workshops, handled email marketing, and nurtured the audience. That experience set the tone for everything that followed.
After CHSD, I moved on to a digital role at Hotfm Lagos, reporting directly to the GM and MD. I led a small team and helped the company transition from traditional to digital. From there, I went to LDM, where I managed social platforms and email marketing, and grew their YouTube channel. Then came Eskimi, an adtech company, where I explored how business and marketing intersect. I also learnt about account management, and I wore many hats across four or five different roles during my time there.
Now, I’m at Pisi, leading a new business arm focused on advertising. They asked me to build everything from scratch. It’s been over a year, and we’ve built a team, entered the market, and are making our mark as a new player.
Throughout my journey, volunteering and community work, like with DigiClan, have been crucial. I’ve never gotten a job by just applying; every role came through referrals from people I’d worked with in communities or volunteered alongside. That network has been powerful.
Funny enough, I’ve always been drawn to technology. I originally wanted to study software engineering and build games, but at the time, it wasn’t offered in Nigeria. The closest option was computer science or engineering, but writing code on paper just didn’t sit right with me, so I went a different route.
I didn’t enter tech with the typical ‘I want a tech job’ mindset. I had a genuine interest in technology, and digital marketing was my entry point. That eventually pulled me deeper into the tech space, and here I am.
What’s one unconventional move you made in your career that paid off?
When I moved from LDM to Eskimi, I actually took a pay cut. That decision wasn’t easy, but it was very intentional.
What attracted me to Eskimi was the opportunity to learn the business side of things. First, it was a global company, which meant I could gain exposure to how marketing and strategy work across different markets. Second, the role sat at the intersection of marketing, business, and sales, so I had the chance to apply marketing knowledge in ways that directly impacted revenue. I was creating digital strategies, managing client accounts, and learning how to grow deal sizes, from $5K to $7K or even $10K. My annual portfolio was around $3M then.
Third, there was clear room for growth. I saw it as a smart tradeoff: take a step back financially in the short term to gain long-term leverage in skills, perspective, and career trajectory. And it paid off. Eventually, my salary caught up and even exceeded what I was earning before. But more importantly, I gained a solid understanding of how businesses make money.
I worked across multiple verticals; FMCGs, fintechs, traditional banks, startups, even crypto, and managed projects in several countries. That kind of exposure is rare. So no regrets at all. I didn’t optimise for income, I optimised for learning. And looking back, that decision has made all the difference.
How would you advise young African professionals to think about specialisation vs. being a generalist?
I get asked a lot whether young people should specialise early in their careers, and honestly, I don’t think they should, at least not immediately. When you’re just starting out, your focus should be on learning, exploring, and figuring out what you enjoy and what you’re naturally good at. Specialising too early can box you in before you even know what’s out there.
I always say your early career is about self-discovery. Try your hands at different things. That doesn’t mean hopping from job to job every three months, but giving yourself the time to go deep enough into a role to actually learn and contribute meaningfully. For me, I started in social media management, then found myself needing to write content for the website, so I learned content writing. That led me to SEO. From SEO, I moved into paid ads, product marketing, then into programmatic. I kept following the gaps I noticed in the companies I worked with, and every gap was an opportunity to grow a new skill.
I was learning based on what the team needed and what the business valued. I also started taking on webinars, doing presentations, and learning communication and public speaking. All of that shaped my confidence and made me more versatile. So people say I’m a generalist, but I think of it more as building domain expertise across areas. I can do deep, specialised work when needed because I’ve actually done the work.
I think the real turning point comes around your fifth to seventh year. That’s when you start to see clearer patterns in your interests and strengths, and you’re better positioned to decide: do I want to become a deep expert in one domain or do I want to move toward a management or leadership path? That decision should be based on your experience.
So if you’re a young person wondering whether to specialise or be a generalist, I’d say pause that debate for now. Instead, focus on being valuable. Ask yourself, ‘Where can I contribute more on my team or in this company?’ The journey will shape itself. You’ll know when it’s time to go deeper, and by then, you’ll have a much stronger foundation to stand on.
What’s something about your journey that people assume came easily, but didn’t at all?
People assume public speaking or selling comes easily to me, but it really didn’t, at least not at the start. I remember those early days when I’d get on a sales call and completely blank out. I’d be nervous, repeating myself, saying ‘um’ and ‘uh’ a lot, and just hoping I didn’t mess up the pitch. I had to get comfortable with rejection, like, really familiar with hearing ‘no’ and not taking it personally.
Over time, I started learning how to show up better. I didn’t just wing it. Even now, when I have a presentation or a class to teach, whether it’s in-person or virtual, I prepare. I practice my slides, not to cram them, but to understand how I want to tell the story. I know exactly what each slide means, what story I want to tie it to, where to pause for impact, and what I want the audience to take away. That preparation makes a huge difference.
Yes, I can freestyle when needed, I can hop on a call or panel and share insights off the top of my head. But when it comes to structured public speaking or pitching, there’s a process behind it.
I also owe a lot to the people I worked with, like Uchechi and Chuks. I was lucky to have an amazing boss who really knew their stuff when it came to sales. I sat in on her calls, watched how she handled objections, and learned how to structure a compelling proposal. And then, she’d give me the chance to lead parts of those presentations. That hands-on experience is what really helped me grow. So no, it didn’t come easy; it came with time, effort, and learning from the right people.
What do you look out for when hiring talent?
Beyond skill assessments, which are, of course, very important, there are three key things I always look out for. First is curiosity. How curious is this person? That matters a lot, especially in our industry, where things are constantly changing—tools, technology, even the way we work. You have to be someone who’s not just open to change but actively seeks to understand and adapt to it.
The second is flexibility and adaptability. I look at how someone responds to shifts, whether it’s organisational changes, industry shifts, or even just a new process internally. Are they rigid and stuck in the mindset of ‘this is how we’ve always done it’? Or are they willing to experiment, find a new approach, and iterate if something doesn’t work? That mindset is crucial.
The third is what I’d call reliability in learning. It still ties back to curiosity, but it’s about whether the person is dependable in their willingness to learn and grow. Skills can be taught; I can train someone on tools, systems, or workflows. But I can’t teach you to be curious or to take initiative when things shift. Those soft skills are non-negotiable for me. You either come in with that mindset, or you’re going to struggle working with me and the kind of environment we operate in.
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What are the things you think have contributed the most to you earning more as your career progressed
One of the most underrated skills in the workplace is simply asking—for more money, more clarity, more growth. A lot of people shy away from it because, let’s be honest, nobody likes rejection. That’s not even a cultural thing; it’s just human nature. But what happens is that we often undersell ourselves, even when we’re adding real value. So, for me, I always encourage people to ask. But don’t go in blindly, go in prepared.
The first thing I recommend is keeping a consistent record of your wins. Every time you hit or exceed a KPI, contribute significantly to a project, or get positive feedback from a manager or teammate, document it. Build a folder of proof. That becomes your leverage. So when it’s time to ask for a raise or promotion, you’re not just saying, ‘I think I deserve more.’ You’re saying, ‘Here’s what I’ve done. Here’s the impact.’
Then, understand how your work ties into the business, whether directly or indirectly. If you’re in sales or performance marketing, that’s easy to track. But if you’re on the brand side or in a non-revenue role like SEO or brand marketing, you have to go the extra step. For example, maybe you supported a campaign that increased brand visibility or drove more qualified leads into the pipeline. Collaborate with teams who do have direct metrics, like sales, and make sure your contributions are recognised and linked to outcomes. Look into CRM data, lead sources, win rates, or conversion ratios to track where your efforts made a difference.
If your impact is more indirect, say through demand generation or brand lift, track things like increased brand mentions, improved sentiment analysis, or higher engagement across touchpoints. Did the campaign you worked on improve brand recall? Did it shorten the sales cycle or make it easier for reps to close? That kind of indirect attribution matters too. It’s not just about revenue; it’s about influence and outcomes.
On top of that, have the conversation with your manager early. Ask what you need to do to move to the next level. What KPIs or outcomes will you be judged against? What does success look like in the next three to six months? Once you have that clarity, you have a clear roadmap, and when you deliver on that, you can come back to the table with confidence.
I’ve used this approach myself and helped others do the same. And yes, sometimes the answer will still be no. But at least then, it’s not a vague no. It’s a clear no, with direction on what needs to happen next. And you go back, improve, and try again.
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