Zenith Bank gets first female GMD/CEO

Zenith Bank Plc, one of Nigeria’s leading banks, has named Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji as its next Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer.

She succeeds Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year stint as GMD/CEO has ended.

According to a statement made by the bank on Tuesday, her nomination as GMD/CEO is consistent with the bank’s succession plan.

‘’Zenith Bank prefers to appoint insiders as Group Managing Directors/Chief Executives, the statement said.

The Board of Zenith Bank Plc recently announced the reappointment of Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji as the Deputy Managing Director of the bank after she was initially affected by the ban director tenure limitation under Godwin Emefiele.

Dr. Umeoji has been the Deputy Managing Director of the bank since October 28, 2016, and has close to thirty (30) years cognate banking experience of which twenty-six (26) years has been with Zenith Bank.

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She is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School where she attended the Advanced Management Program (AMP) and an alumnus of Columbia Business School with a Certificate in the Global Banking Program. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Jos, a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and a First-Class honours in Law from Baze University, Abuja. She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar, and also has a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.

She holds a Certificate in Economics for Business from the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management, USA, and has attended various management programmes in renowned Universities around the world including the strategic thinking and Management programme at Wharton Business School, USA. She also attended the executive program in Strategic Management and has a Certificate in Leading Global Business all from Harvard Business School, USA.

She is a fellow of notable professional bodies including the Chartered Banker Institute, UK, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Management, Institute of Credit Administration, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators, and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria among others.

In 2022, the Federal Government of Nigeria honoured Dr. Umeoji with Officer of the Order of the Niger, as a recognition of her contributions to nation-building. She is a Peace Advocate of the United Nations (UN-POLAC).

 

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