My name is Olubukola Adubi. I am married and blessed with two girls, 18 and 13 years old. I'm the Chief Operating Officer at Miccom Cables & Wires Ltd., Lagos. I have had a rather colorful professional journey. My exposure to several sectors has allowed me to gain a greater understanding of human behavior and industry dynamics.

I graduated with a Masters in Pharmacy and served in core pharmaceuticals for over three years over the last twenty years of my professional journey. In 1996, while transitioning from a Nigerian University after three years of pharmacy studies interrupted by frequent strikes, I was faced with a critical decision. Despite my scientific background and determination to pursue pharmacy, the UK's university entry system required A-levels, a challenge I wasn't expecting. A conversation with the college principal prompted me to embrace Economics, a subject I couldn't define at the time. Eventually, my commitment paid off, and amazingly, by December, I was demonstrating the concepts of economics to the class and achieving the best grade within months. It was at this point that I realized my business inclination, yet I persisted despite the odds, earning a Master's degree in Pharmacy.

However, my journey led me back to business and re-engineering, leading me to discover my hidden passion. I gained this realization through influential figures such as my late mother, who showed me the possibility of success without sacrificing identity through her illustrious career and mothering five children. The values and culture instilled in me played a significant role in shaping my path. Working in a predominantly male sector, I've ascended to the position of national president within my association, earning unparalleled respect through hard work and dedication."

I had always considered the idea of progressing further in my education every now and then. The idea of a doctorate came up about 2 years ago, but I just always found a reason not to commit, primarily lack of time.  

Upon discovering UniAthena, I was very interested because I could finally see all the benefits for myself. The online programme was extremely convenient, the course content was perfect, and the fact that I would be earning an acclaimed MBA degree. The only thing I look for when committing to a path forward is that it is 100% online, and I found it. Hopefully, I will be able to gain business solutions from diverse perspectives.

I would like to harness cutting-edge skills and techniques to advance my business acumen, master leadership, and improve my teaching abilities by building on research and problem-solving skills.

I think a career in academics or public service might actually be something I would be happy to make a transition to and retire from within the next 10 years. In both cases, I am certain I would find joy. I love interacting with people, ‌and I'm constantly looking for ways to add value to people's lives, and provide solutions to help the system work better.

My academic journey has immensely helped me elevate my career prospects. Certainly, I have drawn a lot of influence from the skills I have acquired over the course of my varying academic journeys. The most pertinent skills include people management, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving aptitude, attention to details, discipline, and accountability.

I recall a time about 4 years ago when our company needed to venture into a  different sector with zero knowledge of the specialized field. My CEO gave us a completely unattainable target at that time. We needed to comprehend how the process works and the documentation was quite complex. Additionally, we needed to get staff on board  with all the new technologies and terminologies and prepare for an audit. We had three years to become the top three providers in the industry as well as improve our bottom line by a substantial margin.

It was extremely daunting, but we made it through, and I can say we have indeed achieved this feat. I firmly believe that this is the result of transparency, tenacity, and collaboration with my team. Often, openness to learning and vulnerability in the place of knowledge go a long way. People are typically eager to teach you if you truly desire to learn. I believe this gave us tremendous leverage, and we were able to reach the top.

I believe the most critical personal attributes to achieve success are humility, demonstrating a learning spirit, discipline, accountability, effective communication, time management, tenacity, and courage.

A personal incident comes to mind, involving a sudden change in plans for a family event nearly turned chaotic due to lack of organization. Seeing the situation fall apart without anyone stepping forward, I decided to take charge despite having prior commitments.

Though I had other places to be, I assumed responsibility to ensure the event went smoothly. I swiftly mobilized vendors, coordinated staff, and managed the event seamlessly. In the midst of it all, I found myself resembling an event planner, and interestingly, I received a few job offers as a result.

One book that transcends religion and extends to every aspect of life is the Book of Proverbs in the Bible.  This book illustrates how to gain and sustain wisdom, understanding, and moral discipline. It compiles short, practical instructions that everyone can use to lead a more effective life. 

Honestly, I have always advocated taking responsibility for what makes you happy. I have been very fortunate to have had jobs that I absolutely loved waking up to every day. When contemplating all these jobs, I found that the common factor was being in a challenging situation that required aligning people. Currently, I am doing what I love to do, and I think I am living my dream job. I am essentially getting paid to do what I love. 

For professionals just starting out, I would like to emphasize the importance of having a learning spirit. Whenever you find yourself doing something, you should be intentional about being the best. When you add value to people, prosperity will follow. Being humble and disciplined counts.