My Professional Journey
Building Products. Transforming Businesses. Empowering People.
“Success is not measured by the titles you hold, but by the problems you solve, the people you develop, and the legacy you leave behind.”
My professional journey has never been driven by the pursuit of titles.
It has been driven by a passion for solving meaningful problems, creating products that improve lives, developing high-performing teams, and helping organizations transform ideas into lasting value.
Over the years, I have been privileged to work across banking, financial services, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital transformation, e-commerce, marketplaces, consulting, and enterprise technology. Along the way, one conviction has remained constant:
Technology is most powerful when it serves people.
Today, my work spans executive leadership, product strategy, AI transformation, business growth, mentoring, and thought leadership, enabling organizations across Africa and the United States to innovate with confidence and purpose. My experience includes executive leadership at iDbase Software, product leadership at Gumtree and Nedbank, consulting through Bizmod, Digiterra, PwC South Africa, and international product leadership with Solution Community.
My Professional Philosophy
Products Are Built for People
Early in my career, I realized that successful products are not created by technology alone.
Great products emerge when we deeply understand people.
Every product I have helped build has started with the same questions:
- What real problem are we solving?
- Who benefits from this solution?
- How can we make their lives better?
- How do we create value that lasts?
Technology changes rapidly.
Human needs remain remarkably consistent.
That realization has shaped every product strategy, every roadmap, and every team I have led.
“People don’t buy products; they buy better versions of themselves.” — Seth Godin
The Early Years
Building a Foundation
Every professional journey begins with learning.
Mine was built through curiosity, continuous improvement, and a willingness to embrace challenges beyond my comfort zone.
Although my academic background is in Political Science, I discovered an interest in technology, business strategy, and digital innovation. That curiosity led me into product management, project management, agile delivery, digital transformation, user experience, and artificial intelligence.
Instead of waiting for opportunities, I invested in myself.
I pursued professional certifications, practical experience, and lifelong learning, eventually earning an MBA in Digital Transformation and eCommerce while continuing to expand my expertise through globally recognized certifications in product management, AI, cybersecurity, agile delivery, cloud technologies, and governance.
That commitment to learning continues to shape my leadership today.
Discovering Product Management
Where Business Meets Technology
Product management became the perfect intersection of my interests.
It combined:
- Business strategy
- Customer empathy
- Innovation
- Technology
- Leadership
- Problem solving
I found purpose in bringing people together—engineers, designers, analysts, marketers, executives, and customers—to solve complex challenges collaboratively.
Product management taught me that leadership is rarely about having all the answers.
It is about asking better questions.
“Innovation is seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” — Dr. Albert Szent-Györgyi
Leading Global Product Teams
Solution Community (USA)
One of my longest-standing leadership commitments has been with Solution Community, a nonprofit technology organization based in Delaware, USA.
Leading distributed product teams across more than 25 countries transformed my perspective on leadership.
Working with volunteers from different cultures, professions, languages, and experiences reinforced an important truth:
Great leadership creates alignment without demanding uniformity.
My responsibilities included:
- Establishing the blueprint for the development of a worldclass philanthropist and help social media platform, that is not about self, gist or gossip and lifestyle showcase but a platform that connect needs to supports
- Establishing the product vision, setting the product requirement document, product roadmap, connecting strategy with executive decision, and actual project implementation.
- Leading international Product Owners
- Establishing Agile frameworks and ways of working
- Coaching Scrum teams
- Building collaborative product cultures
- Aligning product strategy with organizational mission
- Mentoring emerging product leaders
The experience strengthened my ability to lead globally distributed teams while fostering innovation and collaboration.
Transforming Marketplace Experience
Product Owner — AVO by Nedbank
One of the defining moments of my career was serving as Product Owner for the onboarding experience of AVO by Nedbank, one of South Africa’s leading digital super apps and marketplace.
The challenge was significant.
How do you make financial marketplace onboarding secure while keeping it simple and intuitive?
Working alongside compliance, fraud prevention, engineering, legal, and customer experience teams, we redesigned onboarding processes that balanced customer convenience with regulatory requirements.
Together, the onboarding team achieved a major milestone by supporting more than one million users through customer-focused enhancements and process improvements.
The project reinforced a lesson I carry into every initiative:
Security and simplicity are not opposites.
When thoughtfully designed, they strengthen one another.
Reimagining Digital Marketplaces
Senior Product Manager — Gumtree South Africa (Formerly Adevinta and Ebay)
Joining Gumtree presented an opportunity to solve challenges at scale.
I led product strategy for the Professional Seller Experience across the Auto, Property, Goods, and Jobs categories, helping improve one of South Africa’s largest online marketplace ecosystems.
Working closely with engineering, design, analytics, customer success, marketing, and executive leadership, my focus included:
- Enhancing marketplace experiences
- Improving seller engagement
- Strengthening buyer trust
- Building AI-powered fraud detection capabilities
- Introducing recommendation and personalization features
- Supporting third-party integrations
- Improving onboarding and commercial experiences for professional sellers
This experience deepened my understanding of two-sided marketplaces and demonstrated how data, customer research, and technology can work together to create value for businesses and consumers alike.
Enterprise Banking Transformation
Technical Product Owner — PwC South Africa
Working with PwC South Africa on one of the country’s leading banking transformation initiatives expanded my experience into enterprise-scale digital modernization.
As Technical Product Owner, I supported the modernization of debit card, credit card, and onboarding experiences while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams across South Africa, the United Kingdom, Poland, India, and the United States.
My responsibilities included:
- Defining product vision
- Managing complex product backlogs
- Leading cross-functional teams
- Supporting secure digital banking
- Driving AI-enabled customer experiences
- Participating in SAFe Agile planning
- Aligning customer needs with business objectives
Large transformation programs taught me that successful change requires more than technology.
It requires trust, communication, and disciplined execution.
Executive Leadership
Head of Strategy — iDbase Software
As Head of Strategy, I was entrusted with helping reposition iDbase Software for long-term growth.
Working closely with executive leadership, I helped shape:
- Product strategy
- Artificial Intelligence strategy
- Cybersecurity positioning
- Brand transformation
- Market repositioning
- Productization of consulting services
- Strategic growth planning
This role allowed me to move beyond individual products and focus on organizational transformation.
Leadership became increasingly about helping others succeed.
Director of Product & Chief Operating Officer
Leading Innovation Across Continents
Today I serve as Director of Product and Chief Operating Officer at iDbase Software, supporting operations across the United States and South Africa.
This role combines strategy, execution, leadership, innovation, and organizational growth.
My work includes:
Product Leadership
Leading product vision and execution across AI, enterprise software, mobility, analytics, and cybersecurity solutions.
Business Growth
Helping position the organization for expansion into international markets while aligning innovation with commercial strategy.
Artificial Intelligence
Supporting the development of practical AI solutions that improve business outcomes rather than simply adopting technology for its own sake.
Executive Leadership
Working across engineering, UX, security, marketing, sales, customer success, and operations to align strategy with execution.
Innovation
Creating environments where teams can experiment, learn, and deliver meaningful solutions.
One of the flagship initiatives under my leadership has been PartyRide™, an AI-powered mobility platform designed to improve transportation efficiency, safety, and community mobility in the United States.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
Helping Organizations Move from Ideas to Impact
Artificial Intelligence represents one of the most significant opportunities of our generation.
However, successful AI adoption is not about replacing people.
It is about empowering people.
Throughout my work, I have focused on helping organizations apply AI responsibly to solve practical business challenges.
Areas of focus include:
- AI strategy
- Product innovation
- AI governance
- Cybersecurity
- Intelligent automation
- Customer experience
- Fraud detection
- Recommendation systems
- Digital transformation
- Enterprise modernization
As a Certified Artificial Intelligence Transformation Leader (CAITL), and AI Security & Governance professional, I continue to advocate for ethical, responsible, and business-focused AI adoption.
Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation
Helping Organizations Move from Ideas to Impact
Artificial Intelligence represents one of the most significant opportunities of our generation.
However, successful AI adoption is not about replacing people.
It is about empowering people.
Throughout my work, I have focused on helping organizations apply AI responsibly to solve practical business challenges.
Areas of focus include:
- AI strategy
- Product innovation
- AI governance
- Cybersecurity
- Intelligent automation
- Customer experience
- Fraud detection
- Recommendation systems
- Digital transformation
- Enterprise modernization
As a Certified Artificial Intelligence Transformation Leader (CAITL), and AI Security & Governance professional, I continue to advocate for ethical, responsible, and business-focused AI adoption.
Building High-Performing Teams
Leadership Beyond Delivery
The most rewarding part of my career has not been launching products.
It has been developing people.
Throughout my journey I have built and mentored multidisciplinary teams including:
- Product Managers
- Product Owners
- Scrum Masters
- Business Analysts
- UX Designers
- Engineers
- Architects
- Data Analysts
- AI Specialists
- Security Professionals
Leadership is not about controlling people.
It is about creating an environment where talented people can do their best work.
As Simon Sinek wisely said:
“Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.”
Thought Leadership
Sharing Knowledge Beyond the Workplace
I believe knowledge grows when it is shared.
Beyond corporate leadership, I contribute through:
- Professional books
- International publications
- Conference presentations
- Research articles
- Product leadership content
- AI thought leadership
- Mentorship
- Public speaking
My work has been featured by organizations and platforms including Mind the Product, USAII, Nexford University, ResearchGate, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, and international conference proceedings. I have also authored professional books and developed educational content to support the next generation of product professionals.
My Leadership Principles
Everything I do professionally is guided by a few enduring principles.
Purpose Before Process
Technology should always solve meaningful problems.
Customers First
Every successful product begins with understanding people.
Excellence Matters
Quality is not an accident.
It is the result of disciplined execution.
Collaboration Wins
Great products are built by great teams.
Integrity Is Non-Negotiable
Trust is the foundation of sustainable leadership.
Innovation Requires Courage
Progress begins when we are willing to challenge assumptions.
Leaders Multiply Leaders
My success is measured not only by what I build, but by the people I help grow.
Career Timeline
Director of Product & COO — iDbase Software (U.S. & South Africa)
November 2025 – Present
The role I occupy now is one I have grown into through every experience that came before it. At iDbase, I lead product vision, AI strategy, cybersecurity oversight, and digital transformation across U.S. and South Africa operations. I am spearheading the U.S. market launch of PartyRide™, an AI-powered mobility platform positioned to reshape transportation efficiency and community safety in Dallas, Texas.
My work spans engineering, AI/ML, security, analytics, and UX — guiding multi-national technical teams and building the investor-facing frameworks that support our U.S. commercialization push.
CEO & Director of Product — Anjola Consulting
December 2024 – Present
Anjola Consulting is the house I built. As CEO, I define the company’s long-term vision, drive AI transformation for SME and enterprise clients, and maintain the information security standards (POPIA, GDPR) that give clients confidence. I also represent the firm publicly — at industry events, in publications, and in conversations about the future of product management and AI-led growth.
Principal Product Partner — MyEKI, Quadratic Inc. (Canada)
January 2025 – Present | Remote
On the executive leadership team of MyEKI, an international B2C and B2B marketplace, I define product vision, drive R&D, lead feature prioritization, and align the roadmap with overarching business objectives — all in a fully distributed, cross-border team environment.
Head of Strategy — iDbase Software
April 2025 – October 2025
A transitional leadership role in which I repositioned iDbase’s brand and market stance, led strategic planning across all departments, and built the execution framework that enabled our U.S. entry. This role was the bridge between consulting and the full executive mandate I now hold.
Technical Product Owner, Debit/Credit Card & Onboarding — PwC South Africa (Nedbank)
May 2025 – August 2025
Embedded within one of South Africa’s largest banks, I served as Technical Product Owner in a SAFe Agile environment, collaborating with global teams across the UK, Poland, India, and the USA. I led the modernisation of the Card division, improved onboarding flows, embedded AI capabilities, and ensured compliance with PCI-DSS, POPIA, and AML regulations. I also championed PI planning and backlog ownership for complex, cross-functional banking solutions.
Senior Product Manager — Gumtree (South Africa)
September 2022 – December 2024
Gumtree is where I ran four product lines simultaneously — Auto, Property, Goods, and Jobs — for a two-sided marketplace operating at scale. I led the implementation of AI-powered fraud detection and recommendation engines, managed third-party integrations with local and offshore partners, and shaped the Professional Seller Experience roadmap from discovery through execution.
This was hands-on, high-stakes product leadership: customer research, data analysis, stakeholder alignment, and continuous delivery — in an environment that demanded precision and speed in equal measure.
Product Owner, Onboarding — Nedbank (AVO Super App)
December 2021 – October 2022
At Nedbank, I was the Product Owner on the AVO super app — one of South Africa’s most ambitious eCommerce platforms. My team and I hit a 1 million user milestone. I implemented tiered onboarding with risk-based KYC, led AML and fraud detection frameworks in collaboration with compliance and security teams, and managed cross-platform integrations that made a complex product feel seamless to its users.
Lead Product Owner — Solution Community (Delaware, USA)
July 2021 – Present | Remote
The longest-serving product leader in this organisation, I built and maintained Agile frameworks for a cross-border team drawn from 25+ countries. I led the product management team through the full development lifecycle of a social media platform — from ideation to execution — while establishing ways of working that translated across cultural contexts.
Delivery Manager / Agile Project Manager — Khonology Fintech
September 2021 – April 2022
At Khonology, I designed and implemented Agile workflows that increased team productivity by 20%. I facilitated sprint planning, backlog refinement, and retrospectives, and I mentored team members in Agile values — not as a methodology lecture, but as practical coaching in real delivery environments.
I also served as Project Coordinator and Product Facilitator on the Khonology Learnership Programme, an initiative investing in South Africa’s next generation of technology professionals.
Agile Project Manager — Adroyte Fintech
November 2020 – December 2021
Led the implementation of a nano-lending solution for an international bank. Managed risk analysis, stakeholder communication, and cross-functional teams operating across multiple countries and time zones.
Product Owner, Scrum Master & Project Manager — iDbase Software
June 2019 – August 2021
My first chapter at iDbase was built around consulting breadth — software development, data visualisation, data migration, IT service desk, and process improvement. A landmark project in this period was the digital transformation of the South African Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services, where I led the delivery of a national-scale IT infrastructure and process automation solution.
Product Manager & Business Analyst — Royal Crew Mzansi
June 2017 – May 2019
Stakeholder engagement, requirements documentation, business analysis, and concept development for a firm working with international investment partners. This role deepened my ability to translate ambiguous business needs into structured, actionable product requirements.
Education
MBA in Digital Transformation and eCommerce
Nexford University, Washington D.C. | 2023
BSc. Political Science
University of Ilorin, Nigeria | 2001
Key Certifications
15+ professional credentials spanning product management, AI leadership, cybersecurity, cloud, and Agile delivery — including:
CSPO® · CSM® · PMP® · CAITL® · CISM · SAFe 6.0 PM/PO® · ITIL v4 · Microsoft Azure AI Engineer Associate · AWS Cloud Practitioner · AI Security & Governance · Product-Led Certification (Pendo) · AI Micro-Certification (Product School)
Signature Achievements
- Reached the 1 million user milestone on the AVO super app at Nedbank through customer-focused onboarding improvements
- Built AI-driven fraud detection and recommendation engines for Gumtree, improving platform trust and revenue
- Led the national digital transformation of the South African Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services
- Spearheading the U.S. launch of PartyRide™, an AI-powered mobility platform in Dallas, Texas
- Recognised in the ADPList Top 1% of Global Mentors and the Top 100 Most Influential Mentors in the World
- Published three books on Amazon: The Product Manager’s Playbook, The Strategic Product Leader, and Starting Over
- Alison course creator with nearly 2,000 learners enrolled across Diploma in Product Management, Agile, Analytics, and AI
- Delivered keynote presentations in London, Kigali, Liverpool, Johannesburg, and beyond
The Journey Continues
This is not a résumé. It is a record of a man who refused to stop.
Building the Future Responsibly
The future of technology will belong to organizations that combine innovation with responsibility.
My aspiration is to continue helping businesses, governments, startups, nonprofits, and communities leverage product thinking, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation to create sustainable impact.
I remain passionate about building products that matter, mentoring future leaders, advancing responsible AI, strengthening organizations, and contributing to a future where technology serves humanity with wisdom, integrity, and purpose.