Dr. Adaora Umeoji has become the first female Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank Plc.
Umeoji, whose appointment as the new CEO of Zenith Bank was announced on Tuesday in a statement signed by the company secretary, Michael Otu, which was filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited, will officially assume that position from June 1, 2024, following the expiration of office of the current GMD, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, on May 31, 2024.
“Dame (Dr) Adaora Umeoji is the first female GMDCEO since the inception of the bank, and her appointment is consistent with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan, and strategy of grooming leaders from within,” part of the statement read.
Umeoji will become the 10th female in Nigeria to assume the position of bank CEO. Those before her are Miriam Olusanya of GT Bank, Yemisi Edun of FCMB, Halima Buba of SunTrust Bank, Ireti Samuel-Ogbu of Citibank Nigeria, Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe of Fidelity Bank, Tomi Somefun of Unity Bank, Kafilat Araoye of Lotus Bank,
Bukola Smith of FSDH Merchant Bank and Yetunde Oni of Union Bank.
Before this appointment, Umeoji was the Deputy Managing Director of the bank since October 28, 2016, and with nearly 30 years of banking experience of which 26 years has been with Zenith Bank.
She is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, where she attended the Advanced Management Programme.
Umeoji is also 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 degree in law from Baze University, Abuja.
She holds a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration from the University of Calabar, and also has a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.
Umeoji also 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.