Zenith Bank has appointed Adaora Umeoji as its first female Group Managing Director/CEO.
Her appointment, pending approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria, is set to commence on June 1, 2024, as stated by the bank.
According to a statement released by Zenith Bank on Tuesday, “She takes over from Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year term expires on May 31, 2024, after a very successful tenure. Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji is the first female GMD/CEO 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.”
Before her recent appointment, Umeoji had been serving as the Deputy Managing Director of Zenith Bank since October 28, 2016. She brings approximately 30 years of banking experience to the role, with 26 years of that tenure dedicated to working at Zenith Bank.
“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,” the bank statement further read.
“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.”
