Idris Akinlabi , PHRi™ MCIB

Driving Revenue Through Talent | Founder @Sqwads | Speaker on Careers, Talent & The Future of Work | Helping Professionals Position for Global Opportunities

Nigeria

About

I believe careers should be built by positioning, not by luck. I’m a People Operations Leader with 7+ years of experience in high-growth fintech companies, currently supporting teams across Africa at ChipperCash. My work focuses on building systems that help organizations scale through people. Across my HR career I have: • Supported 500+ employees across multiple African markets • Led employee lifecycle operations from hiring to performance management • Introduced AI-powered initiatives improving HR efficiency and decision-making But my work goes beyond corporate HR. Over the past few years I’ve become deeply passionate about helping professionals understand how the job market really works. Today I also operate as a Career Coach and Personal Branding Strategist, helping job seekers position themselves for opportunities globally. Through my content and coaching I help professionals: • Land their first corporate roles • Reposition their LinkedIn and CV for visibility • Master interviews, networking, and job search strategy My insights reach 260,000+ professionals on all social media, where I share practical breakdowns of hiring, career growth, and the future of work. I’m also the founder of Sqwads, a platform helping interns, students, and career switchers gain real-world project experience to build employable portfolios. Think of it as a place where people learn by building real products. I’m currently open to: • Paid speaking engagements on careers, hiring, and personal branding • Collaborations around talent development and future-of-work conversations • Partnerships for Sqwads If you’re building talent, growing a company, or shaping the future of work, let’s connect.

Experience

  • Founder at SQWADS
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 10 mos

    Founded Sqwads to address the gap between academic learning and real-world work experience, creating a platform where interns and early-career professionals contribute to real projects.

  • African People Operations Specialist at Chipper Cash
    May 2021 - Present · 5 yrs 3 mos

    • Lead people operations initiatives supporting 500+ employees across multiple African markets, ensuring consistent HR operations across distributed teams. • Drive employee lifecycle management across hiring, onboarding, performance management, and employee relations for a fast-growing fintech organization. • Partner with leadership to strengthen people strategy, workforce planning, and operational efficiency across teams. • Implement HR systems and automation initiatives including AI-assisted workflows to improve reporting, decision making, and HR operational efficiency. • Manage complex employee relations cases, organizational transitions, and policy implementation while maintaining compliance and employee trust. • Support the development of scalable people processes including performance reviews, OKR alignment, and employee experience programs.

  • Compensation and Benefit Analyst | Payroll Specialist at OPay
    Aug 2019 - May 2021 · 1 yr 10 mos

  • Human Resources and Administrative Coordinator at Rahmat Educational Service
    Jul 2018 - Jul 2019 · 1 yr 1 mo

  • Physics Teacher at Yassima
    Aug 2017 - May 2018 · 10 mos