Adekunle Kadri: Driving Product Analytics, Strategy, and Scalable Growth Across Africa’s Digital Economy

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape where data is currency and growth is measured in real-time metrics, product leadership demands more than intuition. It requires analytical precision, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to scale innovation without losing strategic focus. At the forefront of this movement is Adekunle (Mayowa) Kadri, a seasoned Product Management and Analytics leader with over a decade of experience spanning telecoms, fintech, financial services, and high-growth startups.

Recognized for building and scaling data-informed products across Africa, Adekunle has led teams from 0 to over 150 professionals and delivered products generating between $1M and $75M+ in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR).

A PRODUCT GENERALIST FOCUSED ON IMPACT

Adekunle describes himself as a Product Generalist — one who bridges strategy, product development, analytics, and growth execution. His career is defined by measurable outcomes:

• Multi-million-dollar ARR growth
• 1,000%+ revenue increases
• Significant churn reduction initiatives
• High-performing cross-functional team leadership

His toolkit spans analytics platforms such as Power BI, Mixpanel, UXCam, and Firebase, alongside advanced SQL, Python, and cloud technologies including GCP.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE OVERVIEW

Adekunle’s journey reflects steady leadership growth across some of Nigeria’s most recognized brands.

Current and Past Working Experience

CURRENT ROLE: HEAD, PRODUCT ANALYTICS AT ACCESS BANK

At Access Bank Plc, Adekunle leads Product Analytics within the Data & Insights division. His focus centers on:

• Building enterprise-level analytics frameworks
• Translating data into actionable growth insights
• Aligning product performance with strategic objectives
• Driving retention, acquisition, and monetization metrics

He continues to influence product direction by embedding analytics deeply into decision-making processes.

DRIVING AI-POWERED INNOVATION AT AXA MANSARD

During his tenure at AXA Mansard, Adekunle:

• Developed a robust product analytics framework using segmentation, Firebase, and Amplitude
• Led the launch of “Auto Rescue,” an AI-powered First Notice of Loss (FNOL) solution
• Increased indirect customer expansion via AI chatbot from 3% to 10% within six months

His role required coordination between Nigerian operations and the global AXA Group office in Madrid.

SCALING REVENUE AT DREAMWORKS DIRECT

At Dreamworks Direct, Adekunle spearheaded one of the most significant revenue surges in the company’s history:

• Quarterly revenue increased from ₦202.4 million to ₦2.62 billion
• Achieved a 1,195% revenue surge in 2021
• Reduced churn from 40% to 28%
• Led a 35-member growth department
• Generated ₦100M+ ARR from enterprise software licenses

These milestones reflect his ability to align growth marketing, product strategy, and analytics execution.

INNOVATION AND DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AT SOFTCLO

At Softclo, Adekunle:

• Led the deployment of a remote learning platform during COVID-19
• Oversaw rollout of retail POS and healthcare cloud applications
• Improved payroll efficiency by 30% through PayrollPuppet
• Increased adoption rates by 15% within six months

His leadership ensured scalable cloud-native architectures on Azure and AWS.

FOUNDATION IN TELECOM GROWTH AT SMILE COMMUNICATIONS

Spanning nearly six years, his tenure at Smile Communications was pivotal:

• Delivered 20% month-on-month revenue growth
• Implemented fraud prevention frameworks
• Improved ARPU through pricing optimization
• Introduced modular cloud-based services

This period solidified his expertise in product-led growth and data monetization.

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• MBA, Project Management – Obafemi Awolowo University
• B.Sc. Chemical Engineering – Obafemi Awolowo University
• Certificate in Sustainability in Project Management – Lagos Business School

Beyond the Corporate Role

Adekunle is also:

• A Mentor at People In Product
• A keynote speaker with 50+ tech talks
• A published thought leader on product analytics and scaling digital platforms

His interests span analytics, UX, strategy, and the future of work.

Adekunle Kadri exemplifies what it means to lead with data, scale with purpose, and build products that generate measurable impact. From telecom infrastructure to fintech analytics leadership, his career tells the story of a professional who consistently transforms insights into growth.

As Africa’s digital ecosystem continues to expand, leaders like Adekunle are shaping the next chapter of innovation—one product, one metric, and one strategic insight at a time.