Ola Olowu
Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
His commitment to excellence and strategic acumen have solidified his reputation as a leader who not only envisions groundbreaking ideas but also brings them to fruition.
Ola Olowu is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Republic, bringing over 20 years of award-winning experience in commercial advertising across Nigeria, South Africa, Namibia, and Toronto. Renowned for his creative excellence, he has delivered impactful campaigns for global brands including Diageo, Pepsi, Red Bull, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Microsoft, MTN, and Virgin Atlantic. Notably, he spearheaded the multi-award-winning brand launch for Budweiser in Nigeria.
After beginning his career at TBWA, where he developed a strong foundation in creative advertising, Ola founded Fuse, his own branding and design company operating as a subsidiary of TBWA. At Fuse, he led the rebranding of UAC (United Africa Company), established in 1879 and evolved into a 150+ year old holding company with businesses and manufacturing facilities across Nigeria. This project demonstrated his ability to revitalize legacy brands and solidify their market presence.
He then expanded his expertise at DDB Lagos and DDB Namibia, working on diverse campaigns and enhancing brand experiences. In Namibia, he led the award-winning rebranding of another legacy brand, NamPost, further showcasing his proficiency in revitalizing established companies in different markets.
As Creative Director at Insight, Ola directed numerous high-profile campaigns, most notably creating the award-winning “Long Throat” advertisement for Pepsi.
Prior to co-founding Republic, Ola served as the Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director at Isobar, overseeing all creative and strategic initiatives for the group. During his tenure, he led multi-award-winning work for AB InBev brands and NIVEA, further cementing his reputation for delivering exceptional creative work that drives business results. His leadership was distinguished by his ability to build high-performing, multidisciplinary teams and develop portfolios that effectively merged brand power with innovative technology, resulting in exceptional experiences and measurable business outcomes.
Recognized for integrating creative vision with strategic execution, Ola fosters environments where innovation thrives, enabling brands to excel in competitive markets. His commitment to excellence and strategic acumen have solidified his reputation as a leader who not only envisions groundbreaking ideas but also brings them to fruition.