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Rotimi Bankole, the Managing Director of SBI Media Limited and SBI Group, clocked 40 a few days ago and with his roles as a father, husband, and businessman, the exemplary leader celebrated by creating an opportunity for young people to have a chance in media.
His company’s roster of clients include 9Mobile, Tecno Mobile, Infinix, Itel, Sterling Bank, Access Bank, 9PSB, uLesson, Saudi German Hospital, Boomplay, Palm Pay, Opay, among others. In a chat with Guardian Life, Bankole describes himself as a “proud Nigerian” who believes in God, hard work, family, courtesy, community, and creativity.
How does life feel at 40?
Promising. As I said on my birthday, my parents taught me to believe in myself and value patience. Which is why I’m always grateful for all the experiences I’ve had; the pleasant ones and the challenging ones, and all the people who have made an impact on me in my journey so far. I believe, with God, there will be even better stories to tell in the near future.
What influence does your upbringing have on your career path?
Everything. I was raised to be a God-fearing and decent human being. When you hear your parents talk about their values so often and you see them live those values, you tend to grow up internalising those values as well.
In my family, principles of forthrightness and fortitude were highly treasured. When I deal with colleagues and clients, these ideals become quite useful, and every day I see the results in the deep and long-term relationships we are able to build with our partners and clients.
What would you attribute your successes to?
Hard work and dedication to building symbiotic relationships which includes adding value to people, having the habit of giving and also working and partnering with the right people.
On your birthday you launched the SBI Media workshop, what does this signify for you and what do you hope to achieve with the workshop?
There is a major shift in our industry. Small creators can now play, either as solo entrepreneurs or a collective and I’m confident that these opportunities will get bigger with time.
As a professional in the industry, I would like to help young people see their chance in media and make the best of that chance. This kind of assistance was rare when I was starting, but is it possible to democratise knowledge for more people and create more employment now? This answer is yes.
