Ruby Igwe realised corporate legal work wasnt as hands-on as she wanted, so she transitioned into film production. For many people, that made a lot of sense, as she grew up on movie sets assisting her mother, Amaka Igwe, a renowned Nigerian filmmaker. After six months, Ruby transitioned into project management and eventually became head of operations for a media company. But that wasnt her final act.
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped work life across the globe, Ruby Igwe embarked on yet another work journey into the tech space. She was hired as the Country Activation Manager at Sand Technologies, overseeing talent acquisition and management. She eventually became the first female and youngest Country General Manager in the region where shes worked for the last two years, empowering millions of youth and women with in-demand tech skills and training.
How will people around you describe you?Ruby Igwe:I believe they would describe me as hardworking, empathetic and resilient, as well as someone who brings their whole self to work. Executive leaders like me are caught daily between driving team members for optimum performance and managing emotions. I am a self-aware leader, and I respect people first as human beings with stories and context, not tools. I am also a creative person, and this is reflected in my work.
Whats the best thing about your work?RI:I love my team. I believe that I have a very strong, innovative and supportive team and I enjoy working with them. I also love the work we do to enhance tech and entrepreneurship skills among youths and women and contribute directly to Nigerias unemployment, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. I feel fulfilled working with my team to impact over 145,000 youths in Nigeria with better livelihoods.
Youre also the co-founder of archiv.ng. Tell us about that.RI:Archivi.ng is a non-profit actively contributing to the critical mission of preserving Nigerias history through the digital documentation of newspapers and other materials; and then making them accessible to everyone online. As someone passionate about culture, our creative industries and infrastructure development, I believe that our history must be accessible to anyone.
