Zenith Bank Plc has announced the appointment of Dr Adaora Umeoji as group managing director/chief executive officer (GMD/CEO) with effect from June 1 subject to approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Here are more 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 programs 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 programs 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.
Dr Umeoji takes over from Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year term expires on May 31.