From a little Togolese, Nigerian girl with big dreams to one of Africa’s most influential marketing leaders, Fiyin Toyo embodies ambition, faith, and purpose in action. As Marketing Director for Beiersdorf across Central, East & West Africa, she sits at the forefront of leading people, culture, and change.
In this conversation, Fiyin takes us on her remarkable journey: growing up across three continents, discovering her calling in marketing and PR, and building a career that spans over 15 years with world-class brands like Guinness, GSK, Cadbury, and NIVEA. She shares her insights on the “African rhythm” of women in leadership, the real work behind inclusion and equity, and the lessons she’s learned creating platforms like EmpowerU to equip over 25,000 professionals with the tools to rise.
Beyond the boardroom, Fiyin’s life is a testament to living boldly, thirty-nine countries explored, countless stories gathered, and a heart committed to faith, family, and purpose-driven impact. Whether it’s leading a marketing transformation, coaching the next generation, or championing social causes like fighting isolation among vulnerable children, Fiyin reminds us that leadership is not just about position, it’s about influence, courage, and humanity.
This is a conversation about excellence, growth, and thriving in all areas of life, a reminder that true leadership carries vision, heart, and the audacity to inspire.
Read the full conversation below.
It’s a pleasure to have this conversation with you! To start with, who is Fiyin Toyo in your own words?
“Oh wow, who is Fiyin Toyo?” This question always makes me smile. I’d say Fiyin is that once-small Togolese–Nigerian girl who caught a glimpse of her own potential and decided not just to chase it, but to stretch it, shape it, and maximize it.
She is joyfully ambitious.
She is a go-getter with a happy-go-lucky spirit.
She is a woman sold out for Christ.
She is someone deeply committed to becoming everything God imagined for her — in her work, her home, her marriage, her motherhood, and her purpose.
I’m living the life my younger self prayed for. And every now and then, I pause and whisper,
“Girl, we made it, by grace, by grit, and by growth.”
You’ve lived and worked in different places, from the UK to Nigeria and beyond. How has that cross-cultural experience shaped your identity, work ethic, and perspective on life?
I like to say my identity was shaped by three countries all at once. I was born in England to a Nigerian-born Togolese father and a British-born Nigerian mum, so my upbringing was beautifully hybrid, a fusion of West African vibrancy and British structure. Growing up, my life was lived in cycles: summers in England, Christmases in Togo, and school years in Nigeria. Later, I returned to the UK for A-Levels, my gap year, my university degree, my master’s, and the start of my career. That kind of exposure molds you. It teaches you to flex, adapt, and read the room. From the UK, I learned discipline and decorum. One of my colleagues always jokes, “Ah, British Fiyin, if the meeting is 8:00am, she’s seated by 7:55.” And that’s true. I got my first job at 17, earning £1000 a month. I learned punctuality, service excellence, respect, and boundaries very early. From Africa, I inherited community, resilience, cultural intelligence, and the ability to thrive in controlled chaos with grace. I’ve truly taken the best of both worlds, the precision of the West and the passion of Africa, and that fusion shapes how I lead, how I work, and how I show up in the world.
You studied psychology but now lead in marketing. Walk us through that unexpected journey.
Ah, this story always makes me laugh. When I finished secondary school with 7 A’s and a B, including A’s in Chemistry and Biology, my mum declared, “Aha! My doctor has arrived!” So naturally, I began the med-school dream, even though my heart wasn’t in it. When that path didn’t materialize, I pivoted to psychology because, in my mind, it was “close to medicine.” I thought, “Okay, doctor of the brain, that works!” I didn’t even fully understand the field; it just sounded intellectually delicious.
But destiny has a sense of humour. One afternoon in my second year, I was rehearsing a campaign speech for Social Secretary of the Afro-Caribbean Society. My friend Adenike looked at me thoughtfully and said, “Fiyin… I see you in PR.” I blinked and said, “What’s PR?” She explained. I researched. A world lit up inside me. My parents had always insisted on a master’s degree, so I asked, “Can I do it in PR?” They said yes, and that one conversation changed the entire trajectory of my life. Marketing, PR, brand building, they combined everything I loved: creativity, psychology, storytelling, human behaviour, business, culture, and impact. And here we are, 15 years later, still in love with this career.
In your current role leading marketing for Beiersdorf across Central, East, and West Africa, what excites you most about your work?
I say this with my full chest and with all sincerity: This is the most exciting role of my entire 15-year career. Why?
a. The Multi-Country Canvas
There are over thirty markets in my portfolio, with eight major investment markets including Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritius, and Angola. It’s a marketer’s playground. Culture shifts, consumer insights, behavioural nuances… all of it fascinates me.
b. An Investment-Mindset Company
At Beiersdorf, marketing isn’t an afterthought, it’s a growth engine. You don’t spend your time defending the importance of marketing; you spend your time building, innovating, transforming.
c. We are at the heart of culture.
From Lagos Fashion Week to the AMVCAs, to strategic partnerships that shape lifestyle conversations, NIVEA sits at the intersection of beauty, care, and culture. Those moments become legacy.
d. And finally, the culture
Simplicity. Trust. Care. Courage. It’s rare to find a place where the culture is both deeply human and deeply performance driven. I work with brilliant, collaborative people. I travel. I create. I lead. I build. It is a blessing, and I’m profoundly grateful for it.
Representation matters, but inclusion is deeper. What do African companies still get wrong about creating space for women?
Let me be frank: some companies still don’t take DEI seriously. I’ve sat in rooms where CEOs blatantly said they don’t care about inclusion. I’ve seen leadership teams with one woman, or none at all, and everyone behaves like it’s normal.
But here’s the part many companies ignore:
Women and men do not walk through the world with the same load, especially in Africa. A man often wakes up, goes to work, comes home, maybe manages one household task, and rests.
A woman? She is a full ecosystem. School runs. Home management. Childcare. Meeting emotional needs. Work. Marriage. Family obligations. Caregiving. Social expectations. So, when companies say, “We want more women in leadership,” my question is:
Where are the structures to support them?
Flexible work? On-site crèches? Work-from-home days? Non-punitive maternity journeys? Support for young mothers? Systems that acknowledge the mental and physical load of women? Don’t give women seats at the table and then penalize them for carrying a load the table wasn’t designed to accommodate. That’s not inclusion, that’s optics. True inclusion is structural. Sustainable. Human. And companies that understand this will win, not just in gender balance but in innovation, culture, and long-term performance.
You recently led NIVEA’s partnership with SOS Children’s Villages, focused on fighting social isolation among vulnerable children. What inspired this initiative?
This is truly a special initiative for us, but I must give credit where it’s due. The vision came from our global CEO, Vincent Warnery.
The truth is sobering:
🔹 1 in 5 people globally suffers from social isolation.
🔹 Loneliness has been called “the new leprosy of the modern world.”
🔹 It leads to depression, addiction, exclusion, and in tragic cases, suicide.
We all know a story that broke our hearts, like Joyce Vincent’s; dead for over two years but nobody realized. That’s social isolation. Too many young people suffer silently. For me, this initiative is a call to consciousness. Beyond the corporate partnership, it has made me far more intentional about checking in:
On colleagues.
On friends.
On family.
On people in the shadows.
No one should suffer alone in a world where we can simply ask, “Are you okay?” And then actually wait to hear the answer.
As a visible female leader, do you find feedback toward women is often more personal than performance-based?
My personal experience? Honestly, no. I’ve had leaders who focus purely on performance, not gender. And I’m grateful for that.
But as a career coach? I’ve heard stories that made me sit up straight. Feedback tied to marital status, motherhood choices, appearance, things men are almost never evaluated on. So, while my experience has been positive, I never assume that’s the norm. We still have much work to do to ensure women are judged fairly and consistently based on competence, impact, and leadership, not stereotypes.
Is there a unique “African rhythm” for women in leadership?
Absolutely. African women don’t just lead, we carry nations on our backs with grace. The expectations are enormous: Mother. Wife. Daughter. Sister. In-Law. Aunty. Professional. Religious institution member. Community pillar. Society’s moral compass. We juggle roles like seasoned acrobats — and still show up looking fabulous.
Look at the market woman.
Look at the startup founder.
Look at the corporate executive.
Look at the village leader.
We have always been leaders, even before we were allowed titles. There is a rhythm to African womanhood, a blend of resilience, warmth, intuition, and elegance. And it translates beautifully into leadership.
EmpowerU has become a powerful platform for career growth. What inspired it, and what keeps you going?
EmpowerU is one of my favourite stories to tell. It began in 2012 when I moved back to Lagos after a decade away. I had just returned, jobless, hopeful, and prayerful. Like any good Christian girl, I found a church. During introductions, I said, “I don’t have a job yet.” But within a month, I had a job. People kept asking, “How did you get a job so quickly?” So I told them, “Send me your CV.” And that’s when I discovered the crisis. The CVs I saw were… alarming. Poorly structured. Lacking clarity. Not selling their owners. So, I rolled up my sleeves.
I started editing, coaching, preparing people for interviews. The jobs started coming, fast. Word spread: “That lady can help you get a job.”
“She’ll fix your CV.”
“She’ll coach you through interviews.”
And that was the birth of EmpowerU, a movement built on service, excellence, and transformation. What keeps me going?
Purpose.
Impact.
And the messages I receive that start with, “You changed my life…” There is no greater reward.
Looking ahead, what’s next for you, professionally and personally?
Professionally, I’m deeply fulfilled at Beiersdorf.
I love my work. I love my team. I love the vision.
And I’m committed to building, growing, and scaling impact.
Personally, I’m in a season of intentional living.
Yes, EmpowerU took a little backseat this year, but it’s time to reignite it, renew the vision, and take it to its next level.
And beyond all that, I want to live.
To enjoy my family.
To speak more.
To show up more.
To shine with less hesitation.
To quote Maya Angelou:
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive, and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour, and some style.”
That’s the season I’m stepping into, thriving with passion, compassion, and style.
