Zenith Bank Joins Fidelity In The Appointment Of Female GMD/ CEO
By Emmanuel Uffot
The Board of Directors of Zenith Bank PLC has appointed Dr Adaora Umeoji as the Group Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer.
According to the Board, her appointment which takes effect from June 1, 2024 is subject to approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN).
She is taking over from Dr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose tenure of five years expires on May 31, 2024.
Dr Umeoji is the first female GMD/ CEO of Zenith Bank since it’s inception.
The Board further explained that her appointment was in line with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan and strategic of grooming leaders from within.
Until her appointment, Dr Umeoji has served as the Deputy Managing Director since October 28, 2016. She is said to have put in 26 years of her 30 years cognate banking experience with Zenith Bank.
The appointed GMD/ CEO has a rich resume, shows that she is an alumnus of Harvard Business School where she did the Advanced Management Programme ( AMP).
She is also an alumnus of the Colombia Business School with a certificate in the Global Banking Programme.
Dr Umeoji holds a Bachelor Degree in Sociology from the University of Jos and another Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and First Class Honours Degree in Law from Baze University Abuja.
Her rich educational qualifications also include, Master of Law from University of Salford United Kingdom, Master in Business Administration (MBA) from University of Calabar and Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Apollos University, USA.
Dr Umeoji equally holds a Certificate in Economics from MIT Sloan School of Management USA and another management programme at Wharton Business School which gave her the opportunity to attend many management programmes in many Universities across the globe.
Again, she is credited to have attended the executive programme in Strategic Management and a Certificate in Leading Global Business both from Harvard Business School in USA.
She is also a fellow of notable professional bodies like, the Chartered Banker Institute, UK, Chartered Institute of Management, Institute of Credit Administration, Institute of Chartered Mediators and Conciliators and the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administers of Nigeria among others.
Given her laudable professional service, the Federal Government of Nigeria honoured her in 2022 with an award of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). An honour Government stated was in recognition of her contributions to nation building.
In the course of her professional career, the new boss of Zenith Bank is reputed to have impacted many lives through her philanthropic and humanitarian activities using her pet NGO platforms, Pink Breast Cancer Foundation and Adorable Foundation that educates and caters for cancer patients and indigent children’s education especially the girl child.
Her contributions to humanity also made the Sun Newspaper to give her the Humanitarian Service Icon Award for 2023. According to the Newspaper, the award to Dr Umeoji, the amazon in the banking industry, was in recognition of her passion for promoting professionalism in the banking industry and improving the well-being of the less privileged.
She is also reputed to have founded the Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria ( CBAN), the platform she is using to promoting ethical banking and service to humanity.
As a committed Catholic she is Lady of the Order of Knights of St. John (KSJ) which confers on her the title of a DAME.
Similarly her contributions to the church, also earned her an award of a Papal Knight of St Sylvester by the Pope.
