Director of Communications
About Me
Greetings! I'm Bolanle F. Oke, a dynamic and results-driven leader with over 12 years of experience in managing programs, teams & customers to success. I'm known for navigating ambiguity with ease to drive efficiency, productivity, and revenue growth. I've successfully equipped teams with necessary skills and resources, launched impactful initiatives, and implemented process improvement strategies. I excel in guiding cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions that exceed expectations.
Core Values & Expertise
As a seasoned Director of Communications, I am driven by a steadfast commitment to elevating the voice of the organization and fostering meaningful connections with key stakeholders. At the heart of my approach is a deep-rooted belief in the power of strategic, transparent, and engaging communication to drive business success.
I firmly believe that effective communication is not merely a tool, but a vital catalyst for aligning teams, building trust, and amplifying the organization's vision and values. With this guiding principle in mind, I have dedicated my career to developing and executing comprehensive communication strategies that seamlessly integrate diverse channels, content, and messaging to reach and resonate with target audiences.
By leveraging data-driven insights, cutting-edge digital platforms, and a keen understanding of audience psychology, I strive to create compelling narratives that capture the essence of the organization and inspire action.
As a collaborative leader, I empower cross-functional teams to find their authentic voices, navigate complex challenges, and cultivate a culture of transparent, two-way communication that fosters innovation, strengthens relationships, and propels the organization forward.
I invite you to review my highlights below, and discover my experience with leading transformative change through effective communication throughout my career.
Highlights Of My Experience
Twilio
Head of Strategic Programs & Communications
May 2021 - Feb 2024
Led Strategic Programs & Communications in Twilio's Professional Services Business Unit (BU of 200+ employees), driving the creation and execution of impactful initiatives to meet organizational objectives. Steered BU's strategic initiatives (OKRs) from genesis to fruition.
Developed and implemented a comprehensive system for creating contact groups and distribution lists tailored to functional and regional objectives, optimizing communication efficiency and ensuring targeted messaging.
Developed a central information repository (team wiki).
Established regular town hall meetings with senior leadership, fostering transparent communication and alignment with company goals, leading to a 25% increase in employee confidence in leadership.
Organized and hosted regualar Team Events such as Kickoffs, All Hands, AMAs, QBRs, Webinars, Offsites, Lunch n Learns.
Established a Change Management Framework which included an ideation process, a Change Advisory Board and Communication Plans for implementing change.
Developed and presented periodic business reviews (MBR, QBR), strategic roadmaps and long range plans to C-suite leadership.
Designed and executed a communication plan for a major company rebranding of Professional Services, ensuring consistent messaging across all departments and achieving 90% employee buy-in.
Created a Commnications calendar to strategically plan out delivery of key communications, releases and updates via company-wide curated newsletters.
Led the development of a crisis communication strategy, effectively managing communication during challenging situations and maintaining employee morale and trust.
Managed and Implemented programs pertaining to system enhancements, partner portal creation (UI), product upgrade initiatives, process improvement initiatives, etc.
Successfully launched a quarterly recognition program, resulting in a 25% increase in employee productivity and a 5% decrease in turnover rates.
Implemented a Skills Matrix, improving resource allocation by 20% and enhancing team proficiency for successful project delivery.
Act as point of contact for Professional Services to other Business Units and stakeholders.
Communicated complex concepts to diverse audiences, and facilitated training sessions to create actionable insights for the sales team.
Ross Stores
Assoc. Director, Loss Prevention Technology
Feb 2016 - May 2021
Responsible for managing special programs & communications of Loss Prevention Technologies for all locations (2000 stores, supply chains, buying offices, corporate campus).
Introduced a feedback loop mechanism to gather employee suggestions and concerns, resulting in a 20% increase in employee morale and a 15% decrease in turnover.
Developed an external communication strategy for vendor management.
Coordinated with Store Communications to develop Infographics for various initiatives.
Implemented a cross-departmental communication platform, improving collaboration and knowledge sharing across teams, resulting in a 30% reduction in project delays.
Utilized data analytics to track the effectiveness of communication initiatives, enabling data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement of internal communication strategies.
Built an FAQ site and developed several 100s of detailed process steps, checklists, videos and guides to foster a repeatable model approach for common resolution handling and technology training to ensure a culture of continuous improvement and eliminating wasteful processes.
Act as team’s subject matter expert (SME) for technology standards and industry trends.
Collaborated with HR to develop an employee recognition program, promoting a culture of appreciation and resulting in a 40% increase in employee motivation and engagement.
Developed and conducted communication training workshops for managers, enhancing their ability to effectively communicate with their teams and resulting in a 15% increase in employee satisfaction with leadership communication.
Kaiser Permanente
Sr PM, Portfolio Governance
Mar 2015 - Feb 2016
Single point of contact for Corporate Services Business Information Office Portfolio Approval Counsel Governance related initiatives.
Maintained the BI PAC SharePoint website.
Implemented a quarterly BI-PAC email newsletter summarizing approved initiatives that was submitted for funding, and and updates for pending initiatives, leading to a 50% reduction in employee confusion regarding organizational changes.
Onsite Governance and oversight support to all projects within the Corporate Services Business Information Office sub-portfolio’s and serve as the conduit for providing executive status and integrated financial reporting to leadership.
IBM
Project Manager, IT Services
Sept 2011 - Jan 2015
Managed a complex infrastructure program.
Monitored resource workflow by developing resource plans, status reports, and ROI assessments to forecast scheduling, allocation and determine future upgrades to be added to pipeline.
Participated actively in 3 kaizen workshops and brainstorming events, reducing total server build timeframe from 22 days to 10 days, and reducing server decommission process human errors 15%.
Liaised between functional manager and account team. Generated all account-specific global resource requests for new resources, backfills and turnovers.
Created account desk procedure for account team to convey process.
Accomplished value-saving process (VSM) documenting life cycle of incoming client-related requests reducing overall onboarding timeframe for IBM resource on the account.