Steve Babaeko, the Chief Executive Officer of X3M Ideas and President of the Nigerian Chapter of the International Advertising Association (IAA), has joined its global leadership team as Vice President/Area Director for Africa, for the 2025–2028 term.
The International Advertising Association is the world’s only globally-focused ‘tripartite’ advertising trade association with membership representing advertisers, agencies, and the media. Established in 1938 in New York, U.S.A., it has a presence in over 70 countries across the world.
In this new position, Steve will be responsible for amplifying African voices in global marketing conversations. Grow the IAA’s presence across the continent and build bridges between markets, minds, and movements.
Announcing this prestigious role on his LinkedIn page, Steve wrote, “I have been elected to the Global Leadership Team of the International Advertising Association (IAA) as VP/Area Director, Africa, and I couldn’t be more humbled. This role is more than a title. It’s a responsibility: To amplify African voices in global marketing conversations. To grow the IAA’s presence across the continent. To build bridges between markets, minds, and movements.
“Africa is bold, creative, and bursting with potential. It’s time the world took notice, and I am here to help make that happen. Let’s build a stronger, more connected global marketing community.”
Also taking to its LinkedIn page, IAA wrote, “As the international Advertising Association (IAA) continues its mission to serve as the Global Compass of Marketing Communications, we are proud to announce the results of the IAA Global Elections and introduce our incoming Global Leadership Team for the 2025–2028 term.
“Congratulations to our new IAA Global Officers and Board Members — an extraordinary group of global leaders committed to driving the IAA’s vision forward: fostering creativity, advancing sustainability, championing ethical marketing, and building bridges across our worldwide community,” IAA added.
As a world-renowned expert on creative advertising and marketing communications, Steve is a former President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). He was also the Chairman of the board of Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) and a member of the board of the International Advertising Association (I.A.A), Nigeria. Outside of advertising, he also served as the Chairman of the Public Relations Committee of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce.
For more than 26 years, Babaeko has helped create some of the most iconic marketing campaigns in Africa and is currently the only Nigerian named in Adweek’s elite list of 13 Global Creative leaders in 2019.
He has also served on the Grand Jury of the New York Advertising Festival for over three years and was a keynote speaker at the 2018 International Advertising Association conference.
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