In this episode of Oracle Academy Tech Chat, we welcome Janet Kamau, Marketing & Field Engagement Director for Oracle Africa to discuss her career journey and expertise in tech marketing. Janet shares her personal career path, outlining what led her into the dynamic world of tech marketing, and provides listeners with firsthand perspectives on the ever-evolving opportunities for tech professionals in the marketing industry. -----------------------------------------------------

00;00;09;02 - 00;00;28;21

Speaker 1

Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started.

00;00;28;24 - 00;01;02;04

Speaker 2

Hello everyone! Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how often Academy prepares innext generation's world class. I'm your host for today may carry on my summer. In this episode we will be discussing building a tech career in marketing. Our guest is an Marketing and Field Engagement Director for Oracle Africa to discuss her journey and expertise at the intersection of technology and marketing.

00;01;02;06 - 00;01;50;11

Speaker 2

Janet is an accomplished marketing and business development executive with over two decades of leadership across Africa, specializing in technology research and digital transformation. Jeanette. Career includes senior roles at Ogilvy, Airtel, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle, where she has driven innovation on high performance marketing in complex and diverse markets, and Oracle. She was instrumental in launching and expanding Oracle offices across Africa, have focused on customer centric innovation and digital transformation, has led to Oracle's accelerated market share growth and heightened brand relevance across the continent.

00;01;50;13 - 00;02;23;08

Speaker 2

How impact has been recognized through multiple channels, including Oracle's Best of Best Regional Winner, the Oracle Global Marketing Leadership Excellence Award, and HP Emir's High Achievers Club. She is known for drafting data driven, scalable marketing strategies that closely align with corporate transformation goals and long term business value. She is a passionate advocate for social impact and youth development.

00;02;23;10 - 00;03;08;11

Speaker 2

She leads as a Gems Global Mentor, co-leads the Oracle Women Leadership in Kenya, and oversees the Oracle Volunteer Program in Kenya. She is the founder of the Marketing Young Professionals Program and the Parent Cycle Circle, which supports personal growth, leadership development, and engagement. In 2022, Jeanette was named one of the top 25 Most Influential Women in Marketing in East Africa, and in 2024, she was honored as the Marketing Trailblazer of the year and the East Africa Women of Excellence Awards, hosted by UN women and Hope media.

00;03;08;14 - 00;03;41;17

Speaker 2

She holds a BSc in International Business Administration from US, IU Africa and is a certified Professional Coach. Jeanette is the Board Chair of Junior Achievement Africa, where she supports youth entrepreneurship and future ready skill development across the continent. Jeanette brings to the board a blend of strategic marketing, vision and digital transformation expertise with a deep passion for social impact, youth empowerment and inclusive leadership.

00;03;41;19 - 00;04;13;12

Speaker 2

One of her favorite quotes is no one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to bleed by hits. You look what comes in it, and that's such a rich profile you've got there. Thank you for being a guest on the Oracle Academic Tech Chat. How you tell us a bit about your journey into tech marketing and what inspired you to pursue this career path?

00;04;13;14 - 00;04;42;21

Speaker 3

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for the opportunity to feature in this podcast, and thank you for all the work and the wonderful work that you do to inspire, you know, the students and educators across the continents, you know, basically preparing them for today and for the future. We we appreciate all the work that you do now, in regards to my journey in tech marketing and what has inspired me and what inspired me to take this career path.

00;04;42;23 - 00;05;08;03

Speaker 3

That question, you know, took me back to when I just finished my university. I still remember asking my dad if he could help me find a job, and he smiled at me and said that he. Then, inspired by making sure that, you know, I had gotten a good education and from there it was up to me. So honestly, at that time I felt a little bit down and there wasn't.

00;05;08;05 - 00;05;33;01

Speaker 3

It wasn't what I wanted to hear. But looking back, I realize it was one of the best gifts he could have given me. That gentle push made me stop and really think about what I wanted and what I dreamt of doing. So I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the names of all the global brands that I would want to work for, and three of them specifically, stood out.

00;05;33;03 - 00;05;55;19

Speaker 3

And somehow, step by step, I managed to work for all the three. HP was one of them. And so joining HP was my entry into the world of tech marketing. What's funny, though, is that, I wasn't drawn to HP because of the technology itself, but because I was passionate about big brands and learning about how they connected with consumers.

00;05;55;19 - 00;06;23;13

Speaker 3

Because consumer research has always been a really passionate, area for, for me. So the opportunity at HP opened up a whole new path for me, and it kept building from there. And that's how I found myself, at Oracle. And then looking back, I see the power of believing in yourself, writing down your dreams, and being truly intentional about what you want to do.

00;06;23;16 - 00;06;43;18

Speaker 3

And sometimes the best support is a little nudge to discover if you know your own strength. Like what my dad did. And it's amazing what you can achieve when you're clear about your goals and follow them with your, you know, with your whole hat. So what has truly inspired me to remain within tech marketing is it'sever changing or evolving.

00;06;43;22 - 00;07;12;26

Speaker 3

You know, nature every day. Each day brings new opportunities, and being at the forefront of technology with companies like Oracle, Oracle is a leading company, and seeing its positive impact on people's lives. And they continue having that continues. This has always been a continuous, continuous source of motivation,for me. And so that's what has been my journey in, in, you know, in tech marketing.

00;07;12;28 - 00;07;31;04

Speaker 2

That's the interesting thing that started them, I'm sure not the points where you're not, you know, give me that advice. You would have seemed difficult, but, I'm so glad he pushed you towards that direction in. Thank you. Thanks. All right.

00;07;31;04 - 00;07;32;29

Speaker 3

That's true. Yeah.

00;07;33;02 - 00;07;48;10

Speaker 2

Yeah. So the next one will have would be. How is technology transformed the field of marketing in recent years? And what skills are most valuable today for tech marketing professionals?

00;07;48;12 - 00;08;11;26

Speaker 3

Yeah, that's that's a good question. Now, technology has changed everything about the way we do marketing. I remember when I joined marketing a number of years ago, 20 to be precise, or 20 plus, it is to be a bit of a guessing game, like, you know, David, forgive me, once said, half the money spent on advertising is wasted.

00;08;11;28 - 00;08;38;09

Speaker 3

The trouble is, I don't know which half, but that really is not the case anymore. I don't know if things have changed now with the analytics tools out there. We actually get to see where every dollar goes and we can't figure out what's working right away. Instead of waiting weeks or months to to find out. So to put this into perspective, think about a typical product launch 20 years ago.

00;08;38;11 - 00;09;07;24

Speaker 3

Back then, marketing mostly meant to be ads, billboards, magazines, you know, all planned months and months ahead and targeted at broad audiences feedback for, you know, sales results would call internally. And if things weren't working, it was tough and even costly to, you know, to to to pivot from there. So you often had no idea what was resonating with customers until it was almost too late to change.

00;09;07;27 - 00;09;36;13

Speaker 3

Now it's a totally different story. Today, if we are launching a new product, say, a pair of shoes sneakers, we can coordinate a campaign across social media, email, influencer platforms worldwide, all, all at once. So advanced analytics helps us to, what I call micro target specific groups and personalize content for different markets. In real time will tell if an ad is performing.

00;09;36;13 - 00;10;03;22

Speaker 3

Say, for example, we at Facebook we spotted instantly and update the same ability the same day. We can even engage directly with customers through chat, tools like Oracle. Eloqua, which is a powerful CRM tool that that helps us to automate, you know, our processes and helps us to nurture every step of the customer journey from the first time that they click to their post-purchase, follow up.

00;10;03;22 - 00;10;25;24

Speaker 3

So AI takes things even further is what we are seeing. It predicts what our customers might want next, suggests content that will grab the attention and even automate part of our campaign so we have more time, you know, for to to be more creative. We are now able to deliver super personalized recommendations, our messages at, you know, just the right moment.

00;10;25;24 - 00;10;48;09

Speaker 3

And then so we I was putting trends and patterns faster than we could even have, you know, been able to spot them on, on our own. So all in all, I would say that technology has made marketing faster, smarter, and in that way much more personal. We are than just watching what people we are building, stronger relationships. We are co-creating with our customers and we are giving them experiences.

00;10;48;12 - 00;11;10;21

Speaker 3

Philip Kotler, one of my most favorite, marketing, gurus, put it so aptly that marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but about the relationships we build. And that's for me, how technology has transformed, marketing. And I think your other question was about, sorry, I forget there was a question in between.

00;11;10;23 - 00;11;19;05

Speaker 2

Yeah. I what skills are most valuable to them? What skills are most valuable today for tech marketing professionals?

00;11;19;08 - 00;11;39;27

Speaker 3

Yeah. Thank you. Again, if you really want to stand out in tech marketing in one would be want to stand out marketing, the first thing they need is that genuine sense of curiosity. Things move so fast. There's always something new to learn or to try out. The marketers who make the biggest impact are the ones who keep asking questions and never stop wanting to grow.

00;11;39;29 - 00;12;04;02

Speaker 3

And that has and that's really, I think is the same for any role. Really. The other second B2C is you you have to be super adaptable. So marketers, we have many hats. We have very many hats being willing to jump in and figure things out. Does anyone outside our comfort zone really concept someone? The fact that our key is being comfortable with numbers, it is is really key.

00;12;04;05 - 00;12;25;22

Speaker 3

There's so much data coming up. Marketers, you need to be able to dig into the detail and see what'sworking and use those insights to make things better. Let's show real results and tweak campaigns so marketers are not just busy, but they're being effective at seeing results to their business. The other thing I'dlike to say is creativity.

00;12;25;24 - 00;12;47;14

Speaker 3

Creativity is what makes your website. It's not just about coming up with catchy Diaz. It's about telling real stories, solving problems in new ways, and finding memorable ways to connect with people so that your brand stands out. And of course, you can't do it alone. You've got to work well with a lot of different people, other teams, partners and customers.

00;12;47;21 - 00;13;12;05

Speaker 3

Marketing is really all about relationships, so the better you are at connecting and building trust and the farther you will go. Lastly, I think would say digital fluency is a must, one that it is automation platforms like, what I mentioned earlier, Oracle Eloqua or social media or data analytics. Knowing your way around digital tools, you know, makes your marketing not as matter but more personal.

00;13;12;05 - 00;13;54;05

Speaker 3

And, and impactful. So looking ahead, ten years, socially with AI continue to grow, marketing sales will probably shift even more. So I will handle a lot of repetitive tasks and content in ad creation, you know, optimize campaigns and customer targeting much more automatically. So what does that mean? It means that the most valuable skills might be things only humans can do, like static thinking, ethical decision making, understanding complex emotions and coming up with the big, bold or creative ideas of machines really cannot imagine.

00;13;54;05 - 00;14;30;03

Speaker 3

So marketers will work alongside AI not as a tool, but as a partner. And I think to bring this to to somebody in 20 as 20 years ago, marketing was all about the creativity and brought messaging. Today, the skills that are required, a mix of creative and digital skills, data analysis and personalization, and looking for the most valuable marketers will be those who are able to combine a proven insights with human creativity, some empathy in there, and strategic thinking.

00;14;30;06 - 00;14;31;29

Speaker 3

Thank you.

00;14;32;01 - 00;15;01;15

Speaker 2

Well, that's very interesting. And this was, a lot of really valuable things that you shared. I like how you make you pointed to facts that technology has changed everything. But technology has also made marketing faster, cheaper and more personalized. And also, you've mentioned some of these skills that are needed for tech professionals. Now, for tech marketing professionals, you mentioned that, you know, professionals need a genuine sense of curiosity.

00;15;01;15 - 00;15;36;22

Speaker 2

They have to stay adaptable, have to love numbers. Who would have thought? I mean, the marketers should know we need to take those numbers. And also they have to be strategic thinkers and also be very creative. Thank you for sharing those valuable, points with us. Now, how can students from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented communities, find opportunities and build confidence in tech orientedmarketing roles?

00;15;36;25 - 00;16;09;18

Speaker 3

Thank you. Thank you for that question. You know, for a lot of students from underrepresented communities, it can be tough to find opportunities in tech simply because of limited access and not knowing what's out there. But there's so much the industry can do to to help out. So companies like Oracle, we are stepping up, but working with schools and organizations in all kinds of, you know, regions to open up doors and show students all the amazing possibilities, like the existing roles, you know, we have within tech marketing.

00;16;09;18 - 00;16;34;17

Speaker 3

So it's all about making those career paths, I would say visible and actually within reach. So I'm that example is what's happening here. We do really an academic partnering with schools and giving the students and teachers free access to the latest technologies that we have and the training through the amazing hackathons. And they'll do that how you run the hackathons, the amazing hackathons, the tech bootcamps.

00;16;34;19 - 00;16;54;01

Speaker 3

And you can see that the students get real hands on experience that build their skills and confidence. And honestly, working on those kinds of projects is a great way to spark an interest. You know, in, in, in tech, I would like to add the, angle of mentorship. So mentorship matters too. Personally, I wouldn't be where I am today without mentors guiding and supporting me.

00;16;54;01 - 00;17;17;06

Speaker 3

So for those of us who've been down this road, I think it's really important to give back, whether that'smentoring in our own communities or getting involved with local schools or university programs. And again, I would like to say a big thanks to you, Becca. And, you know, the Oracle Academy team, the Oracle volunteer programs for giving us distances within Oracle to mentor and support others.

00;17;17;09 - 00;17;44;12

Speaker 3

And you know what? Schools are doing some great things as well. You know, having clubs like the scienceclubs, tech clubs and took ownership groups, these clubs are fantastic for building skills and helping students to realize just how much they are capable of. And looking back, I wish I joined more of these clubs because the exposure is priceless and that's why I encourage a lot of students today to get involved in Stem clubs.

00;17;44;14 - 00;18;19;23

Speaker 3

The Stem clubs build your problem solving and critical thinking skills or muscles, but you don't have to forget it. We also need to remember the creative arts or music clubs. Of course, they're just as important for creativity and self-expression. So the bottom line is to take advantage of every opportunity to explore, learn and connect, you know, with anybody who, come in the spaces that are provided within our schools or programs, such as, or Aqua Academy or volunteering or the clubs that exist within the schools.

00;18;19;23 - 00;18;42;15

Speaker 3

And, and for each of us to make a mark in this world, we must then go back and mentor, mentor student back in our communities, really other people to to do so and get involved in programs like Oracle Academy where we can then skin, you know, skill a lot more because on your own it might be difficult, but when you join programs like this, then the, the skill, then, brings it all together.

00;18;42;18 - 00;18;48;04

Speaker 3

Thank you.

00;18;48;07 - 00;19;18;21

Speaker 2

Thank you. Jennifer. Sharing those gems you talked about mentorship, and how we must also give back forthose who are already ahead. You mentioned the Stem clubs and music clubs and clubs in schools because,opportunities are only shared on those platforms. And, you know, people who are from maybe, less, underrepresented communities can always find opportunities in those circles.

00;19;18;24 - 00;19;45;03

Speaker 2

Thank you. Also mentioning the work that we do, Oracle Academy, where we're giving out free quality, world class technology education to schools, to today and to teachers across the globe. Or unless we show you how important I know you've talked a bit about it, or maybe you didn't elaborate a bit more. How important is mentorship and networking in building a tech career in marketing?

00;19;45;05 - 00;19;52;22

Speaker 2

What strategies have worked best for you in making meaningful professional connections?

00;19;52;25 - 00;20;27;10

Speaker 3

Yeah. Good. Good. Thank you for that. Now, mentorship and networking really, cornerstones for any, any successful career, not just marketing, but in a successful career. Having people you can turn to for honest advice, mixed, you know, make tough decisions. You know, we make you making tough decisions much more easier. So I like to think of this as building your own personal board of directors, trusted mentors who offer guidance and, you know, give different perspectives when you need them.

00;20;27;12 - 00;20;52;17

Speaker 3

So as African proverb sayings that, you know, if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. That actually speaks to the power of surrounding yourself with good mentors, good networks and nurturing those relationships, you know, over time. So coaching for me is just as valuable. So as a quote, I've experienced that sometimes the best way forward comes from within you.

00;20;52;19 - 00;21;15;19

Speaker 3

You just need someone to help you ask the right questions and find your own path. So for me, coaching helped me get clearer about my strengths, my values, and what truly motivates me. And that's what, you know, made my decisions a lot more intentional, you know? Plus, once you really know yourself, once you really know yourself, you end up making better choices.

00;21;15;25 - 00;21;32;25

Speaker 3

So for me, both mentors and coaches have played a huge role in helping me grow and have given my career. And that's something that I would encourage anyone to get a mentor and to get a coach who you can work with. And when it comes to net, networking, I've learned that it pays to be extremely, extremely deliberate.

00;21;32;27 - 00;22;03;26

Speaker 3

Whether I said industry brands or forums and community spaces. What I try to do is to identify who I want to meet ahead of time and make a point to connect genuinely. So building relationships don't stop after the fast connection. Consistent follow up, sharing interesting resources or just checking in really helps keep those connections alive. And so at the end of the day, it's about showing real interest in other people's success and being there for each other.

00;22;03;29 - 00;22;33;01

Speaker 3

And that's how building a network that truly supports your personal and professional growth. So for me, that that that's how I've managed to do building through those networks. Being very deliberate as to who who do I admire and who would I want to to learn from? I mean, it's to be able to, to meet them. And of course, then having the mentors and having the coaches who have helped me to to grow along this journey, it is you can'twalk alone, you can't walk alone.

00;22;33;01 - 00;22;55;01

Speaker 3

And you need a team around you and people who will, you know, always uplifting. And we always say that you must stand on the shoulders of giants. And for me, that is what I've done. I've stood on the shoulders of giants who've been there before me, or those who can coach me to walk that path. And that's what for me, I think has, has, has made me to be where I am today.

00;22;55;03 - 00;22;55;24

Speaker 3

Thank you.

00;22;55;27 - 00;23;22;01

Speaker 2

Thank, thank you. So one thing that I would like that you said mentorship from networking is very important. But it also, it also is important to not that we have to be deliberate when networking. I know let's also show genuinely and be authentic be authentic self when we are networking and submitting myself so to mentorship.

00;23;22;01 - 00;23;41;20

Speaker 2

So so I'm very loud. I mean, time flies so quickly and down to the, very last question. If you could give one piece of advice to faculty and students, what would that be? Oh, well,

00;23;41;23 - 00;24;15;06

Speaker 3

So for teachers, or faculty, my advice is to make sure that, you know, that they're training what actually matches what's happening in the real world, even if it means bringing in recent examples or talking about what's new in the industry. The job market and the skills people need are always changing. So it is important to help students to focus less on just training for one specific job and more on building useful and flexible skills they can use anywhere.

00;24;15;08 - 00;24;42;09

Speaker 3

So it's about skills and how those skills can be flexible for use in life and for students. I can't stress enough how important it is to keep building again, the skills and staying adaptable. Gone are the days when careers followed a straight, predictable path. Today, most of our journeys are non-linear, full of unexpected turns, new roles every day, and changing industry.

00;24;42;09 - 00;25;09;07

Speaker 3

So if you just focus on one career idea, you might find it doesn't exist, at least in the same way that you had envisioned it. But if you work on things like creative thinking, problem solving, using digital tools, and analyzing data, you'll always have solid options. So it's a skills, not your job, that really opens doors because those can start across industries and roles.

00;25;09;09 - 00;25;39;18

Speaker 3

Know no matter how you know, the world changes. And as Alvin Toffler once said, that the illiterate of the 20th century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot land and land in dry land. Somy encouragement or my words would be to for anyone to keep learning, keep growing, and stay curious, because that's the key to to success.

00;25;39;20 - 00;26;08;16

Speaker 2

Well, thank you so much, Jeanette. That's such an interesting, point that you have made. It is the skills that open doors, and not necessarily the jobs itself. And for the teachers, please make sure that what you train your students on actually match what is obtainable in the real world. Thank you for your time, Jeanette. You have been a fantastic guests and great to have you here.

00;26;08;19 - 00;26;37;07

Speaker 2

From your wealth of knowledge to Alice, thank you so much. Yeah, to our listeners, thank you for tuning in. Please remember to visit our website academy.uncle.com to learn more about Awful Academies learning and resources. Subscribe to our podcast, share with your friends and you can also follow Oracle Academy on ECS, Instagram and Facebook. Bye for now.

00;26;37;09 - 00;26;43;29

Speaker 1

That wraps up this episode. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for the next Oracle Academy Tech Chat podcast.