Harriet-Ann Omobolanle Adesola is an Accountant in Nigeria who has been at the head of 6 different companies and presently holds the position of Chairman at Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Chairman at Ecobank Nigeria Ltd. and Senior Vice-Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank (Mauritius) Ltd.
She was born and bred in Lagos, Nigeria in a small family and was encouraged by her parents to get a university degree. She initially pursued science but ended up studying law at Buckingham University. After practicing law with her father for four years, after which she decided to try her hand at banking. As such, she switched careers and entered banking in the late 80s when new banks were opening up in Nigeria.
Omobolanle’s banking career has spanned over 30 years and she has been head-hunted for all her positions. She completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and was hired by Citibank in 1990 where she held senior leadership roles for nine years.
Adesola was headhunted to be the Managing Director of Kakawa Discount House Limited and later became the Executive Director of First Bank of Nigeria Plc in charge of corporate banking and retail and commercial banking in Lagos. In 2011, she became the first Nigerian and first female CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited and was later appointed Senior Vice-Chairman, Africa for the bank. Recently, she was appointed as Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Limited and also serves as Chairman of Lagos State Employment Trust Fund.
Bola banking experience who has over 32 years is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School and holds a Law degree from the University of Buckingham, UK. She is actively involved in various professional organizations, including the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, U.K and Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria and Women Corporate Directors.
Bola is also a co-founder of Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) and serves on the WIMBIZ Board of Trustees. She has previously served as Board Member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) from 2015, and 2018 she was elevated to Co Vice-Chair of the Board. Bola is an Honorary Fellow and former Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria, a founding Trustee of Financial Markets Dealers Association, and has served on the boards of Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems Plc (NIBSS) and the Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC). Bola is also past Chair of the Bankers’ Committee sub-Committee on Economic Development, Sustainability and Gender was recently appointed the first female President of Lagos Business School Alumni Association (LBSAA). She is also a member of the Institute of Directors and of Women Corporate Directors.
Bola’s keen interest in FinTech led to her appointment to the Board of Trustees of the FinTech Association of Nigeria. She is a board member of Imperial Logistics Plc, an African focused provider of integrated market access and logistics solutions, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. She is also a trustee of the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria.
An innovative and visionary leader, a skilled communicator and team builder, she remains an exceptional mentor and motivator to many Her overriding passion and purpose is to help others find their voice, and having found it, for them to move from effectiveness to greatness.
She is an active mentor to young people and is passionate about reading and travelling. She is married and is the proud mother of twin girls.
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References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Adesola