Ukonwa Ojo is the Founder and CEO of Zaia Ventures, a venture studio committed to building and scaling businesses that serve underrepresented and marginalised communities. Prior to this, she was the Global Chief Marketing Officer and US General Manager for Amazon Prime Video & Studios.
She is a creatively driven General Manager and an experienced global operational P&L leader with a 25-year track record of leading large cross-functional organisations to scale multi-billion-dollar businesses.
Her achievements demonstrate her ability to consistently deliver operational results across geographies and industries through astute financial and portfolio management, market-leading innovation and product development, and award-winning marketing initiatives that resonate deeply with consumers.
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During her tenure at Amazon Prime Video, she combined data-driven/analytical decision-making, cross-functional team leadership, and award-winning creativity to deliver the best performance in Prime Video history.
She led a significant acceleration in customer acquisitions, which helped Amazon Prime Video replace Netflix as the #1 US Streamer for the first time ever, launched 8 of the top 10 shows in Prime Video history, and improved marketing investment efficiency to its best ever.
In addition, she helped the streamer garner 5 Golden Globes, 4 Oscar Nominations and 2 wins, 50 Emmy Nominations and 8 wins and 111 Entertainment Clios.
Prior to this role, she served as Global Chief Marketing Officer at M.A.C Cosmetics, a multi-billion-dollar cultural icon and the world’s #1 Makeup Brand. Prior to that, she served as Global General Manager for an iconic portfolio of brands including Covergirl, Clairol, Sally Hansen, Rimmel, and Lifestyle Scenting/Fragrances at Coty. Earlier in her career, she held General Management roles at Unilever, Reckitt Benckiser PLC, General Mills Corporation and MeadWestvaco Corporation.
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Over the course of her career, she has been recognised with over 60 awards and honours including Forbes’s Most Influential CMOs, Black Enterprise 25 Women Changing the World, Business Insider’s Most Innovative CMOs, Variety’s Most Influential Women in Entertainment, AdAge 50 and A-List, Adweek 50, WWD Brand Builder of the Year, WFA Global Marketer of the Year List and Financial Times Upstanding 100.
She is a member of Fortune’s Most Powerful Women, The Executive Leadership Council, Black Executive CMO Alliance, and Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute.
Ukonwa serves as Board Director for Velsera, a company on a mission to radically improve health outcomes by combining healthcare, technology, and life sciences to deliver on the promise of precision medicine for all.
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