Meet Adaora Umeoji, Zenith Bank’s First Female GMD/CEO

Meet Adaora Umeoji, Zenith Bank’s First Female GMD/CEO

Zenith Bank on Tuesday named Adaora Umeoji as its first female Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.

Her appointment, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, will take effect from June 1, 2024, according to the bank.

“She takes over from Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year term expires on May 31, 2024, after a very successful tenure,” it stated.

On June 1, 2024, Adaora Umeoji will take full charge at Zenith Bank. Her appointment marks a historic moment as she becomes the first female GMD/CEO since the inception of the bank in May 1990.

According to the bank’s statement, “her appointment is consistent with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan, and strategy of grooming leaders from within.”

Adaora Umeoji has nearly 30 years of experience in banking, having previously served as the deputy managing director of the bank, a role she assumed in October 2016.

She has also been with the bank for close to twenty-six years.

The following are a few things you should know about Adaora Umeoji.

Education

She has quite an impressive educational background. She is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, where she completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP), and Columbia Business School, where she obtained a Certificate in the Global Banking Program. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Jos, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a First-Class Honors in Law from Baze University, Abuja.

Additionally, she has a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar; and a doctorate in Business Administration from Apollos University, USA.

She also has a Certificate in Economics for Business from MIT Sloan School of Management, USA, and has completed executive programmes in Strategic Management and Leading Global Business at Harvard Business School, USA.

 

Fellowships and Professional Memberships

Adaora Umeoji is an outstanding professional with a range of prestigious fellowships to her name.

She is a Fellow of the Chartered Banker Institute in the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Management, the Institute of Credit Administration, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria, the Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria.

 

Honours and Awards

In 2022, she was awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

She was also recognized as a Peace Advocate of the United Nations (UN-POLAC). In 2023, she received the Humanitarian Service Icon Award from the Sun Newspaper, in honor of her philanthropic efforts.

Philanthropic Activities

She is the founder of two organizations – Pink Breathe Cancer Foundation and Adorable Foundation. The Pink Breath Cancer Care Foundation runs several healthcare programs every year across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. These programmes aim to provide crucial medical care to people living with cancer and other illnesses. She also donates relief materials and offers free healthcare to internally displaced persons all over the country through various intervention initiatives.