Marketing.
Brand.
Storytelling.

Built to drive growth across Africa.

I'm Alex Onduso — a strategic marketing and communications leader with 14+ years shaping brands, crafting narratives, and turning stories into measurable growth across pan-African markets.

Explore My Work → Get in Touch
14+
Years Experience
$25M+
Revenue Growth
24
Markets Reached
80+
Media Placements
Alex Onduso — Strategic Marketing and Communications Leader
Director of Marketing & Comms
African Leadership University · Africa
🌍 Pan-African Reach
Alex Onduso Alex Onduso
About Me

Where Strategy
Meets Story

I'm a marketer and communicator who believes the most powerful growth lever any organisation has is a story told well — to the right person, at exactly the right moment.

Over 14+ years I've led marketing, brand, and communications across education, media, banking, and technology. I've built teams, launched institutions into new markets, and turned complex narratives into campaigns that move people and drive results. The through-line across all of it has been storytelling — not as a tactic, but as the foundation of everything.

Today, as Director of Marketing & Communications — Africa at African Leadership University, I lead 360° strategy across multiple institutions and pan-African markets. My work sits at the intersection of data rigour and creative conviction — because great storytelling backed by sharp analytics is what separates brands people remember from brands people scroll past.

Brand Strategy & Positioning
Storytelling & Narrative
Growth & Performance Marketing
Corporate Communications
Media & PR Relations
Digital & Content Strategy
Business Development
Team Leadership
Career Journey

Where I've Made My Mark

14+ years across marketing, communications, and business development — each role sharpening a different edge of the craft.

Apr 2024 – Present
African Leadership University
Director of Marketing & Communications – Africa

Leading 360° marketing, communications, and brand strategy across ALU Rwanda, ALCHE Mauritius, ALUSB, and four Centres of Excellence. Expanded market presence from 11 to 24 countries, drove significant enrollment growth, and co-led major research report launches securing 80+ global media placements — shaping the narrative on African education and workforce readiness.

Brand StrategyPerformance Marketing Media & PRStorytellingPan-African
Oct 2022 – Feb 2024
Nexford University
Head of Growth Marketing – East Africa

Drove significant revenue growth across East Africa, reduced cost-per-acquisition by 45%, and tripled conversion rates through multi-channel performance marketing. Grew organic search traffic 150% through an SEO-led content strategy and expanded the online community 4X through localised storytelling campaigns across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Growth MarketingSEO & Content East AfricaPerformance Ads
Oct 2019 – Dec 2021
Moringa School
Head of Marketing & Brand Communications

Spearheaded a full rebrand and market repositioning that boosted brand awareness by 60% and drove a 30% increase in student enrollments. Built a student-first narrative through video storytelling and alumni spotlights — while piloting programmatic ads and referral programmes that improved acquisition by 30%.

RebrandingEdTech StorytellingB2B & B2C
Sep 2016 – Sep 2019
Nova Pioneer
Marketing & Community Engagement Manager

Led the brand rollout project that unified Nova Academies in Kenya and Pioneer Academies in South Africa into one coherent Nova Pioneer identity — one of the most defining brand stories of my career. Delivered 40% growth in brand awareness and drove 30% YoY student growth through integrated community-first marketing and strategic partnerships.

Brand RolloutCommunity PartnershipsEducation
2011 – 2016
Kenya Commercial Bank & Nation Media Group
Early Career – Marketing & Business Development

Built the commercial and marketing foundation across two of Kenya's most recognised institutions. Managed a $2M+ banking portfolio, built corporate media partnerships, and led campaigns that drove measurable revenue and customer growth — developing the business development instinct and stakeholder fluency that underpins every role since.

BankingMedia Business DevelopmentRevenue Growth
By the Numbers

Results That Speak

14+ years of work distilled into the metrics that matter.

$25M+
Revenue growth driven across organisations and markets
25%
Average customer acquisition growth year-on-year, 2018–2025
80+
Earned media placements across global and African outlets
7×
Return on ad spend achieved through optimised campaigns
40%
Reduction in customer acquisition cost (2024 vs 2026)
24
African markets expanded into from an 11-country base
Insights & Ideas

Writing on Marketing,
Growth & Africa

Honest thinking on brand building, growth strategy, AI, and what it means to market in a continent full of unrealised possibility.

Growth Strategy

Growth Hacking: Game Changer or Overhyped Shortcut?

Everyone's talking about growth hacking — but is it genuine strategic discipline or rebranded common sense with a better PR budget? Getting honest about where the real leverage actually is.

Read on LinkedIn ↗ Read More →
AI & Marketing

AI Won't Replace Your Marketing Team — But It Will Expose the Weak Ones

McKinsey's 2024 data shows AI could automate 30% of marketing hours. That's not a threat — it's a filter. Here's what it means for teams building in Africa.

May 2025 · 6 min read Read More →
AI & Brand Voice

The African Marketer's Guide to Using AI Without Losing Your Voice

Africa's digital ad market hits $3.5B by 2026 — but most AI content still sounds like it was written for Austin. Here's how to keep your cultural edge while moving at AI speed.

Mar 2025 · 7 min read Read More →
Let's Talk

Open to Conversations
Worth Having

Whether you're building a brand, scaling a team, launching into new markets, or want to trade notes on marketing and growth in Africa — I'm always up for a good conversation.

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