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ReConnect Africa is a unique website and online magazine for the African professional in the Diaspora. Packed with essential information about careers, business and jobs, ReConnect Africa keeps you connected to the best of Africa.

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…. Find your own way; there is nothing more debilitating than trying to do what someone else did in the way they did it. Invariably it does not work.

Werbayne McIntyre OBE

Director, Digisoft Education Ltd

I was educated at....

….over seven schools in England, Wales, and South America. However, I completed my degree, a BA Hons in Media Publishing, at the University of the Arts.

My first job was....

….working at Pobjoys Mint, making money. I was 17 at the time and had just been through around 75 interviews, as in those days it was hard to get a job as a young black man.

What I do now is....

…..I spent the last few years as the Head of Global Marketing for IT companies in the Broadcast sector. However, I have just launched my own business and I am now the founder and director of a company that delivers interactive educational software. What is unique is that we deliver it where there is no electricity or connectivity. I also have an Audio Broadcast patent that I will be setting out to exploit.

 

Werbayne McIntyre OBE, as SVP of Global Marketing, masterminded the rebranding of KIT Digital, (OTT TV leaders responsible for major OVP/OTT TV solutions), as it repositioned as Pixel and led its subsequent successful launch at IBC. He helped shape KIT Digital’s go to market strategy in the OTT TV Software Solutions sector as it underwent a major restructuring programme, and led the reshaping middleware specialist Digisoft TV’s sales and marketing strategy.

Werbayne established and ran his own agency for 7 years, with offices in both London and San Francisco and spearheaded an award winning campaign for the Metropolitan Police. The D&AD award winning campaign changed the Met’s recruitment methods and improved their recruitment rate by over 30%. He has worked as a Director of a large UK based housing group with £5 billion worth of property assets and has a long track record in the development of successful launch campaigns.

Some of his key achievements include launching Cuba as a popular tourist destination for travellers from UK and Europe, launching the Dark & Lovely (L’Oreal) brand in South Africa, turning it into the number two brand in the market, managing the launch of RWD magazine for venture capital company Venrex, and rebranding Babysham and Pink Lady for leading drinks distributor Matthew Clark.

He was awarded an OBE for his contribution to the UK Government’s National Employment Panel where he helped implement significant changes to their welfare to work programmes.

 

What I learned along the way is…

…..Follow the money; it’s the focus of all things commercial. Manage it in your business, follow the big plays in your marketplace and align yourself to the biggest movers. Everything else is just playing at business.

The greatest influence on my life has been……

…..well, I will not mention his name here, but he was an unassuming electrician who worked as a maintenance guy, and who quietly amassed a large property portfolio and retired a millionaire. Smart guy, always looked down on by people at the City Bank where he worked, but he did better than most of the execs who looked down on him. He did it with style, charm and humility – and he had the last laugh. The message? “No excuses”.

The best advice I ever received is…

…..“Being happy is having something to look forward to.” Make a plan, have a goal, think of the benefits, and enjoy them when they come. Not everything is about work; it’s also about relationships, your personal wish list, family and friends. Don’t give up friends who make you laugh.

My top tips for succeeding in my career area are…

….Find your own way; there is nothing more debilitating than trying to do what someone else did in the way they did it. Invariably it does not work. The best way to do something is your way, especially in the creative and marketing industries. If it works, you’re a genius. If it does not, it was an expression of you. Put your big boy pants on, and go and live.

 

 

If you would like to nominate an inspiring personality for a ‘5 Minute Interview’ please contact us at editor@reconnectafrica.com

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