Segun Martins Fajemisin
CIO at Infomediaworks Limited
Can you please provide a little introduction about yourself
Based in London, I manage this publishing and information management company with four other staffers and engaging a few freelance professionals. I have a background in library and information management and had worked for 25 years in journalism half of which was as an editor. Infomediaworks is a young company that was incorporated in November 2016.
What has your journey to your position been like? What path have you taken?
At the start, things were incredibly complicated and challenging but with determination and drawing on spectacular experiences, I was buoyed to stay on and make a worthwhile journey of the whole experience. One of the key milestones was being the first African intern to have been selected for the Bertelsmann Foundation award and trained by the Springer Verlag (publishers) in Berlin in 1997. An intense training and working stint where I learned about book marketing, sales, and promotional strategies. Before this, I was also a researcher for the African Publishers Network (APNET) for 3 years (1994 – 1997). These, coupled with participating in international book fairs including London, Durban, Frankfurt, and İstanbul, have been instrumental to my progress in the industry.
Has it always been your vision to reach the position you’re at? Was your current role part of your vision to become a tech leader?
I have always been determined to excel and reach the pinnacle of my engagement so you could say that it is. And when you are engaged as a kind of ‘individual entrepreneur’, you are fired on to work multiple harder, access all the help and assistance that you can get and make the most of these.
Have you had a role model or mentor that has helped you on your journey?
My most memorable experience was with the first Executive Secretary of APNET in Harare, Zimbabwe. APNET (or African Publishers Network) is the pioneering book industry organisation founded in 1991 by 9 African countries as the umbrella organisation for the book industry on the continent. The late Paul Roger Brickhill (1958-2014) grounded me in research and really helped me to reach the international world of books by allowing me to explore the industry. He also facilitated my research collaboration with organisations such as UNESCO, IFLA etc
How do you see the role of the technology leader evolving over the next 5 years?
The role will be more dynamic and more hands-on. Post-pandemic years are already beginning to see a surge in innovation and industry growth. This will be against the backdrop of a healthy but competitive industry also lending to becoming increasingly complex and challenging. Tech leaders are wont to evolve in, and with these scenarios.
What skills do you think leaders of the future will need in order to thrive?
The future belongs to the ‘premium leaders’ – those who would have mastered the VUCA strategies. The VUCA world entails being adept at dealing with Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. Just as espoused in one of the books that we published in 2021 and which has garnered immense success: ‘THE PREMIUM LEADER: Leadership Attributes and Strategies for Today’s Volatile World’ by Dr. Dayo Olomu outlines these and more.
How do you keep current with new skills, technologies and personal development?
Through training and personal development. People development is key. These are occasioned by functional interactions via professional meets and gatherings. Since October 2022 for instance, we have been present in 5 countries attending summits and trade events, including in far away Chennai (India). We have also participated in publishing fellowships in both Prague and Cairo and had our first post-pandemic book exhibition at the Malta Book Festival in November 2022.
What do you see as the next leap in technology that will impact your business or industry in particular?
Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to loom large. It was on to the production process as a given, but the emergence of ChatGPT/OpenAI, for instance, has also thrown the editorial process into the fray. There are issues to deal with and some of these will be setting boundaries and establishing ownership/copyright issues as well.
“Determination is key as is willingness to embrace change.”
If you were mentoring a leader of the future, what advice or guidance would you give to help them on their way?
Self-commitment at an astounding level. It has to be total and undiluted. Belonging to the relevant professional platforms and networking also help. Determination is key as is willingness to embrace change.
Is there anything in particular that you would still like to achieve in your career or what is the next step on your journey?
I would like to leave a lasting legacy on in the world of publishing. We have a few charitable causes that are being looked at and one of these would be picked on later in the year to start in Africa.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
Reverse the decline in reading for pleasure! Against stiff competition from smartphones and social media platforms for instance, book reading for pleasure continues to suffer an onslaught, hence the decline.
A big thank you to Segun Martins Fajemisin from Infomediaworks Limited for sharing his journey to date.
