Teju Ajani

Years in Tech

18

Current Role

Country Manager, Android Partnerships, Nigeria, Google.

Core Skills

Decision making, Leading change, Negotiation, Strategy, Critical thinking, Learning agility, Adaptability, Digital expertise.

Interview Date

14th December 2018

Teju is the Country Manager, Android Partnerships for Google in Nigeria. She is passionate about technology and its potential as an economic equalizer and ability to open up opportunities for people. At Google she has built relationships working in business development in Nigeria, established and led YouTube content business across 8 countries in Africa, and is now focused on growing Android Partnerships in Nigeria with a keen interest in facilitating affordable devices for Nigerians.

She has accumulated a wealth of experience having worked in with major companies in technology, strategy and marketing in North America, Europe and Africa. Prior to Google Teju worked as senior product manager at Oracle where she was responsible for the management interface of an engineered system, Exalogic and working with partners such as the US government, VMWare in customer marketing, collaborating with partners on surfacing their technology success stories, BEA systems as Technical Account Manager, Systems engineer and Developer Relations Engineer, leading and advising top West Coast Banks in the US on technical infrastructure and deployment.

Teju has led the Women at Google group in Sub Saharan Africa for the past couple of years. An avid learner, she is a self-professed geek who loves to ideate. Favorite topics include Artificial Intelligence(AI), Internet of Things (IOT), digital content & strategy, human capital development, organizational health and strategy. She is a strong advocate for women in leadership.

What experiences led you to technology and how did you develop the skills to compete in the industry?

I was always interested in computers and loved to learn about them. While I focused on Economics as an undergrad, I had taken a few coding classes and was fascinated. I went back to school for an advanced degree and while I was admitted into a traditional MBA program, I got into a school that allowed me to switch, clearly delineated the additional work I’d need to do, and supported me when I decided to switch to a Masters in Software Engineering instead! The one thing I have learnt is that one never stops learning. It was a common joke amongst my colleagues that it felt as though we never left school because we were always having to study a new coding language, technology or something!

How has your background helped/differentiated you in the tech industry?

The ability to operate comfortably as a business and technical person made me stand out and gave me flexibility in my career that I have found to be an advantage. I have been able to switch between purely technical and business roles that give an unusual breadth and depth and have a perspective on business that most business leaders don’t have or take much longer to develop. I have had roles in Developer relations, product management, marketing, account management and with executive oversight that I’ve been able to leverage wherever I have worked, and more importantly kept my career interesting for me.

What advice would you give to women considering a career in technology? What do you wish you had known?

Hone your skills. Ask for the opportunities you want. Put yourself forward for opportunities you think you qualify for even if minimally. Know your strengths, and be willing to learn. Get comfortable being a minority in the room and get on with the job; it can serve to highlight your skills, and you bring a unique perspective.