Cecilia Akintomide

Cecilia Akintomide is a seasoned executive with expertise in Development Finance, Corporate Governance, Law, and General Management.  Until recently, she served as an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of FBN Holdings Plc. She is currently serving on the Boards of (i) Ondo State Development and Investment Promotion Agency (ONDIPA), (ii) CcHUB Growth Capital, Nigeria’s first social innovation fund, supporting high potential early stage businesses; and (iii) SWAgCO, an agricultural sector investment company and a host of other Boards. She is also a member of the Board of Regents of Covenant University, one of Nigeria’s leading universities.

Cecilia was Vice President Secretary General of the African Development Bank (AfDB), where she provided leadership for the dynamic relationship of the AfDB and its then 80 member states, and served as Secretary to the Boards of Directors and the Ministerial Boards of Governors.  She was a member of the Presidential Council, as well as the Operations and the Senior Management Coordination Committees.

Cecilia also served as the Head of Private and Public Sector Projects and Policy, in the General Counsel & Legal Department of the AfDB, working on the legal aspects of projects, programs, and development policies.   Prior to the AfDB, Cecilia practiced law in Lagos, Washington D.C., and New York, at the law firms of O. Thomas & Co.; Thompson & Co.; and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, with a focus on Business Reorganizations, Corporate and Commercial Law. 

She is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.

Kyari Bukar 

Kyari is the Chief Executive Officer of Inlaks Limited, foremost systems integrator specialized in the deployment of dynamic and highly scalable ICT Infrastructure solutions in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He oversees Inlaks’ operations spanning Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, and other African countries managing the deployment of highly scalable Infrastructure and Fintech Banking solutions catering to the dynamic needs of the financial, industrial, distribution, Telecommunications and Oil/Gas sectors in partnership with world leading OEMs as well as other substantive efforts across Africa.

Prior to joining Inlaks, Mr. Bukar was the Partner/Co-Founder of Trans-Sahara Investment Corp, a Private Equity firm based in Lagos, Nigeria, MD/CEO of Central Securities Clearing System Plc and ValuCard Nigeria (Unified Payments Ltd) where he negotiated the entry of Visa International into Nigeria by taking-up equity position in the company and drove electronic payments development and introduction of Visa cards into the Nigerian banking landscape. Mr. Bukar also served as the Executive Director, E-Banking, Information Technology & Operations at FSB International Bank Plc (now Fidelity bank Plc), a role he took following his arrival in Nigeria after a 17-year stint in the United States of America (USA).

He began his career in 1988 as a Process Engineer at Hewlett Packard (HP) – rising through the ranks and gaining experience in Manufacturing, Technical Marketing, Project, and Program Management working on HP’s Inkjet Technology, Notebook PC’s, Palmtops, and Calculators. He was also a leading member of the management staff in the implementation of six sigma methodology for the IT unit’s continuous process improvement strategy.

Kyari holds a bachelor’s degree in Physics from the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria, a master’s degree in Nuclear Engineering from Oregon State University and attended an MBA program from Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America. He holds certificates from the Visa Business School at Cambridge University, Wharton Business School, and Harvard Business School respectively.  He is also a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Nigeria.

 

Olatomiwa Williams

Ola is a business leader with over 20 years’ experience in Information Technology Industry helping organization leverage the power of technology to achieve their business objectives.

She is currently the Country Manager for Nigeria and Ghana. Prior to that, she was the Digital Transformation and Cloud Solution Director for the Microsoft Middle East and Africa (MEA) Multi Country Cluster (MCC) spanning over sixty-seven countries in Africa and part of Middle East. She leads a team of talented Solution Specialists to empower enterprise customers achieve Digital Transformation of their organizations leveraging Microsoft Cloud Solutions.

She is an award-winning leader with 20 years’ experience in Technology solution sales, consulting, support, channel and people management. Ola is known for building strong teams, helping customers adopt new technologies for transformation business outcome and for supporting channel strategic growth across emerging markets.

Prior to joining Microsoft, she was a Lead Consultant with Dimension Data, Nigeria and have worked on large complex projects across Nigeria and South America.
Ola has held different roles in other IT companies and have developed a very good knowledge of emerging markets business landscape.

Committed to the cause of seeing more women succeed in Information Technology field, she leads female focused initiatives to support and encourage women and girls in her region to develop interest in Information Technology and Engineering. She is a mentor to a couple of aspiring female leaders.

She speaks at different Microsoft and industry events, presenting across Microsoft and industry Solution portfolio.

Prof Kenneth Amaeshi,

Visiting Professor of Leadership and Financial Markets in Africa, London School of Economics 

Kenneth Amaeshi is a leading scholar on sustainable business and finance in the global south. He is the  Chair in Business and Sustainable Development  and  Director Scaling Business in Africa  at the University of Edinburgh. He also holds a Chair in Sustainable Finance and Governance at the School of Transnational Governance,  European University Institute , Florence, Italy (from September 2021). 

Kenneth's research interest currently focuses on financial market reforms and governance, as well as on sector-level policies for sustainability and sustainability strategy in organisations. He has an expert level knowledge of developing and emerging economies. His research has a very strong interface between business and society, particularly national governments in Africa, where he has an extensive network. Since 2015, he has significantly contributed to developing the intellectual foundations of Africapitalism – an economic philosophy for the development of Africa – and championed its mainstreaming in the global academia. 

Besides teaching and researching, Kenneth works closely with businesses and governments in Africa, Europe, and Asia. He leads executive capacity building engagements and consultancy projects in the broad areas of sustainable finance, sustainability strategy, leadership, ethics, and governance for multinational corporations and institutions. He was recently a Scholar in Residence at the National Pension Commission, Nigeria.

Foluso Gbadamosi

Foluso is a Business and Technology Professional who currently works as the Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria. She has significant experience harnessing organizations to use digital technology, to build and sustain a digital culture and be effective and responsive in a digital environment, having worked for global and indigenous businesses in the Telecommunications, Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Financial Services/Fintech, NGO, and Oil and Gas sectors. She is also an Author, Speaker, Trainer, and also a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach who helps individuals leverage their talents to achieve greater performance in different areas of their lives. She serves on the Board of Directors of Swift Networks, Cousant Technologies, KudaBank, the Advisory Board of Skool Media.

Foluso is highly enthusiastic about improving the welfare of humanity, seeing people walk in their purpose, and being change agents to transform societies. In 2013, she co-founded a non-profit organization, Serving with Love (SWL) where she currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from George Washington University.

Foluso is a John Maxwell Certified Team Member, a Certified Management Consultant and holds Certificates from the Yale CEO College, IE Business School, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of the 2021 Role Model of the Year award by the Association of Nigerian Women Entrepreneurs and Professionals, 2020 Social Good Awards in the Personal Development category, and the 2020 Seed Builders Women Impact Award for her contribution to Women Advancement & Empowerment, Digital Transformation & Humanitarian Service.

Foluso has been recognized by several organizations including Guardian Woman, Leading Ladies Africa, Her Network and more as an inspiring Woman in Technology & Business. Foluso lives in Lagos and is married with two children.

Adedoyin Odunfa

Adedoyin Odunfa is an IT professional with almost 30 years in professional practice, focused on enhancing the strategic value of IT in organizations through value-adding interventions across the information value chain. She has led industry initiatives to strengthen and enhance IT Governance, Risk and Compliance processes, practices and skill sets to significantly impact business.

Adedoyin is the Founder, MD/CEO of Digital Jewels a Ltd, a leading IT GRC Consulting and Capacity Building Firm with a footprint across 9 African countries and an enviable delivery track record. Digital Jewels is today the only Professional Services Firm in Africa to be certified to ISO27001:2013 and ISO9001:2015 as well as being a Qualified Security Assessor for PCIDSS.

She is a recognized leader in the IT industry and has several notable credentials to her name being Certified as an Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and a Project Management Professional (PMP) amongst others.

Adedoyin was recently listed among the top 100 Most Inspirational Women in Nigeria (2021); Top 50 Women in Cybersecurity in Africa (2020 and 20 FINTECH Women in Nigeria (2019).

She is happily married with lovely children.

Greg Malize

For 12 years, Greg has worked with global organizations across multiple regions - in Nigeria, the United States, and other African countries, in sectors spanning Financial Technology and Consulting/Advisory, leading Product design/implementation, business process re-engineering, and more projects. Working at KPMG as a Senior Technology Advisory Consultant, Greg leveraged his diverse experiences in Fintech and Consulting to manage digital transformation projects for leading African banks across several African countries. Prior to KPMG, he worked at the leading Fintech company - Interswitch Group, as a Senior Product Manager designing and managing innovative electronic payments solutions.

Previously, he had developed solutions for major telecommunications brands across the United States. Greg holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, USA and is a member of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Tech Business Club. He is the Founder and Executive Director of ImpactGen; an organization that empowers young minds by creating learning opportunities – through knowledge-based technology programs, mentorship and trainings - that equip them with relevant technology skills, and provide a talent pipeline for the workplace especially as the need for technology skills continues to grow

Adora Nwado

Adora Nwodo is a multi-award winning Software Engineer based in Lagos, Nigeria.

She currently works at Microsoft where she builds Mixed Reality on the Cloud.

She is also the Vice President of the Nigerian chapter for VRAR Association. Her work there involves creating more awareness for Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies.

 

Apart from building and advocating for mixed reality technologies, Adora is a Digital

Creator and the COO of Lend a Land of Hope Initiative, an NGO focused on empowering young people in rural communities through education and skill acquisition. She has courses online that teaches people about Infrastructure automation, she has also published multiple articles on Software Engineering, Productivity & Career Growth on her blog, AdoraHack .

She also has a YouTube channel for AdoraHack where she posts tech content that could be useful to Software Developers.

 

Adora is the Author of the popular book "Cloud Engineering for Beginners". This book is currently helping a lot of people start their career as Cloud Engineers.

Adora spends a lot of her time on Twitter and LinkedIn sharing about her experience as a woman in tech. She is extremely passionate about the developer community in Nigeria and is trying to drive inclusion for women in technology. She co-organizes

Dr Franklin N. Ngwu

Dr Franklin N. Ngwu is an Economist and Associate Professor of Strategy, Corporate Governance and Risk Management, Lagos Business School (LBS). He is currently the Director of LBS Public/Private Sector Initiative focused on promoting more public/private sector partnership for Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth and development.  He has a PhD in Law and Economics of Banking Regulation, MSc in Economics and Post-Graduate Diploma in Development Economics from University of Manchester, UK. In addition, he also has MSc in Comparative Political Economy from Cardiff University, UK and BSc in Sociology from University of Lagos, Nigeria. He has over 20 years’ experience in teaching, private sector, policy research and consulting both in Nigeria and UK.

He has consulted for both local and international organizations and worked in Barclays Bank UK for over five years. In Nigeria, he has provided either training or consulting services to many firms including Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), African Development Bank(AfDB), StanbicIBTC, First Bank of Nigeria(FBN), Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB),  Banwo & Ighodalo, Coronation Group, Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE), Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM), Nigerian Breweries Plc, AXA Mansard, Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Airtel Nigeria, Fidelity Pension Managers Ltd, South African Investment Banking Managers, Premium Pension Ltd, Mouka Foam, Johnson & Johnson Leadership and Management of Nigeria Health Sector Project, Sterling Bank, Paystack Payments Ltd, Electronic Payplus Ltd, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and Dangote Group.

He has lectured at Glasgow School of Business and Society, Glasgow Caledonian University; School of Built Environment and Business, University of Salford; Department of Economics and School of Law, University of Manchester, UK. He has a multi-disciplinary teaching and research interests including Business Strategy and Management, Risk Management and Corporate Governance, Bank Management and Regulation, Law and Finance in Emerging Markets, Corporate Social Responsibility and Development Economics.

He has presented papers in international/local conferences, contributed many book chapters and published papers in peer reviewed journals. His last paper Growing Cross-Border Banking in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Need for a Regional Centralized Regulatory Authority’ was published by Journal of Banking Regulation . He is the author of four corporate governance and sustainability handbooks- Corporate Governance in Developing and Emerging Markets (Routledge, 2016), Enhancing Board Effectiveness-Institutional, Regulatory and Functional Perspectives for Developing and Emerging Markets (Routledge, 2019), Corporate Social Responsibility in Developing and Emerging Markets: Institutions, Actors and Sustainable Development (Cambridge University Press, 2019), Corporate Social Responsibility Across the Globe: Innovative Resolution of Regulatory and Governance Challenges (Cambridge University Press, 2022). He is working on his fifth and Sixth books with Routledge and Cambridge University Press respectively.

He is the Co-chair, Private Sector Advisory Group Board on UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); Advisory Board Member, E-Waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON), Advisory Board Member, Leading Edge Consulting Group.   He is also a member of several bodies including Society of Corporate Governance Nigeria, British Academy of Management, Risk Managers Association of Nigeria (RIMAN) and Expert Network, World Economic Forum.

 

Nkemdilim Begho

Nkemdilim is a seasoned Information Technology professional with over 15 years of cross-sector industry experience in Nigeria, Africa’s largest emerging economy. She combines strategic, digital technology and operational experience with a deep understanding of business transformation, change leadership and risk oversight.

 

She has designed and led strategy and implementation of digital marketing & digital transformation projects across Africa, resulting in enhanced customer experiences, customer acquisition & bottom-line growth, optimized and more cost effective operations and a more digitally skilled labour force within the organisations she has worked with.

Her entrepreneurial background, involvement in the global and pan-African Technology landscape and a focus on building the Nigerian Technology ecosystem through enabling policy development, investing, education and mentoring, affords her a deep understanding of cutting edge innovation, emerging & disruptive technologies, as well as access to a large network of technology leaders, policy makers and investors across the continent and globally.

 

Nkemdilim is trusted for her attention to detail, the ability to identify key issues and provoke deeper discourse to unlock alternative viewpoints.

Nkemdilim has been recognized as an Obama African Leader, Forbes’s Top Ten Female Tech Founders in Africa, Global Digital Women top 10 Most Inspiring Women in Africa, Lionesses of Africa top 100 Women and Ventures Africa 42 most Innovative Africans. .

Oluyemisi Edun

Experienced Accountant and Finance professional with over 30 years' experience and skills in assurance services , project management , mergers and acquisition , strategy, i nv estment , financial reporting , analysis and management. She has de v eloped very strong interpersonal skills with high integrity and an ability to achieve results through cross functional teams .

Mrs. Yemisi Edun is a graduate of the University of Ife , lle-lfe ( now Obafemi Awolowo Universi ty) and also holds a master’s degree from the University of Liverpool, United Kingdom . She is an Accountant by profession and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. She holds the prestigious award of Certified Financial Analyst (CFA); she is also a qualified Stockbroker , a Certified Information Systems Auditor, a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria , an Honorary Senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria as well as a member of Information Systems Audit and Control Association , USA.

 

Yemisi is a result-oriented individual with very good interpersonal skills , high professional integrity, and an excellent team spirit. She loves sharing knowledge and has facilitated in f inance , accounting , banking , risk management , IT auditing and fraud-related courses. She also facilitates soft skills courses including time management , personal financial planning , and motivational courses.

Dr. Ayotunde Coker

Dr Ayotunde Coker is one of the leading players in the development of the data centre centre industry in Africa and is Chairperson of influential industry group, the Africa Data Centres Association.

Before joining OADC as Chief Executive Officer, Dr Coker led Rack Centre to becoming a household name in Nigeria and a leading brand in Africa, with global recognition and numerous prestigious international awards.

Throughout a distinguished international career as a technology and business leader, Dr Coker has held senior positions in finance, energy, management consulting and UK Government.

He holds a MSc from Cranfield Institute of Technology and a PhD (Honoris Causa) from ESCAE University. His achievements have been recognised by numerous awards including Distinguished Manufacturing Alumni Award (Cranfield Institute of Technology) 2020, and in the same year he was recognised as one of the Global Top 30 Edge Computing Leaders by Data Economy Magazine.

Osayi Alile

Osayi Alile is a quintessential leader with over 20 years in the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and the third sector with a wide array of experience covering International Development, Business and Philanthropic Management, Fundraising and Sustainability.

Her degrees in Sociology and Public Administration from Rutgers University, New Jersey prepared her to be a catalyst for change as she has revolutionised the non- profit sector in Nigeria and beyond. She possesses Executive Certifications from LBS (Nigeria), IMD, Cranfield, Harvard University and YALE. She is also a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria, CIBN (Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria) Mentoring Advisory Committee, Lagos Business School Nigeria Non-profit Senior Management Fellow, ANDE Executive Committee, Council Member, LCCI (Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry), Member TheBoardroom Africa, Executive Member of the Access Women Network and Trustee, Alaghodaro (Edo State) Economic Summit.

Osayi Alile is currently the Chief Executive Officer at ACT Foundation, a grant- making non-profit organisation that provides funding to social sector organisations focused in the areas of Health, Entrepreneurship, Environment and Leadership. Through her hard work, dedication and resilience, ACT Foundation has been adjudged the “Not-For-Profit of the Year” at the 2018, 2019 & 2020 SERAS CSR Awards.

She is also the Co- Administrator at the Coalition Against Covid-19(CACOVID) which is a Private Sector task force in partnership with the Federal Government, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) with the sole aim of combating Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

As a visionary leader, Ms. Alile has served in various leadership capacities including being the Executive Director, FATE Foundation; Vice President, Junior Achievement of Nigeria; and CSR Consultant, Access Bank Plc.

Osayi Alile has served the nation and the world at large in various capacities including Council Member on Youth Unemployment for the World Economic Forum Global Agenda; Committee Member, Ministry of Communication Technology for IT Business Incubation Technology; and was recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

MOSUN BELO-OLUSOGA (MRS)

Mosun Belo-Olusoga popularly known as Aunty Mo is the Lead Consultant/Chief Executive Officer of The KRC (Knowledge and Resource Centre) Limited, a world class services provider with specialty focus on Credit Training.

 

Mo holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics from University of Ibadan, graduating with a Second Class Upper Degree and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

 

She began her career as a Trainee Accountant with the then Messrs Coopers and Lybrand (Chartered Accountants) in 1980. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1983 winning the ICAN First Place and the Society of Women Accountants of Nigeria (SWAN) Awards in the qualifying professional examinations. She subsequently moved to the then Continental Merchant Bank Limited towards the end of 1986 in a bid to change her career to Banking.

 

She joined Guaranty Trust Bank Plc as a pioneer staff in 1990 where she gained robust experience having headed the major core banking groups including Investment, Corporate and Commercial Banking, Transaction Services, Risk Management and Settlement (Domestic and International Operations) Groups. She retired as Executive Director/ Head of the Bank’s South West Division responsible for all marketing operations within region.

 

Mo has a record of firsts, the first female Executive Director of Guaranty Trust Bank, the first female Director of Access Bank, first female Director of Premium Pensions Limited, first African Director, Global Alliance for Women in Banking, first female Chairman of Access Bank and first female Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of Olabisi Onabanjo University. During her tenure as Chairman, Access Bank recorded unprecedented growth in key parameters which has seen it emerge as Nigeria’s number one bank in several key performance indices and Africa’s largest bank by customer size. She is the immediate past Co-Chair of the Nigerian Chapter, Women Corporate Directors (WCD) and was named one of 100 Most Reputable Africans in 2018, one of 100 Globally Inspiring Women for 2021 and one of 50 Nigerian Amazons in 2021.

Kate Ikechi Isa

Kate Ikechi Isa is an audacious trailblazing entrepreneur with unflinching belief that nothing can be impossible to the one who is determined to achieve success - Good Success. 

The founder and CEO of Katchey Company Limited, the dominant player in the Science Laboratory equipment space in Nigeria, Kate is a modern day multi-preneur, having, in addition to KATCHEY, founded LEEISA Inc in Los Angeles, USA in 1993 and purchased SCIACHEM in the UK in 2016. 

Perceiving gaps in the science and technology landscape in Nigeria, Kate is presently driving an aggressive forward- and backward- integration program at KATCHEY. The forward integration has birthed Katchey Laboratories Limited, the first internationally accredited Independent Analytical Laboratory Complex in Nigeria. Katchey Laboratories is set to successfully compete against the SGSs, COTECNAs and INTERTEKs of this world. The backward integration, which featured its Ground-Breaking Ceremony in OGUN State, focuses on the manufacturing of laboratory equipment and supplies, Training Institute for Laboratory technologists, expanded Independent Analytical Laboratory Complexes, offices, and warehouses. 

With a passion for science and technology, Kate has been on a protracted unrelenting crusade, engaging the policy makers in Nigeria’s educational system, to modernize the teaching and learning of Science and Technology in Nigeria through the use of digital science laboratory equipment, inspired by the STEM pedagogy. Kate believes very strongly that only well-educated Nigerian scientists will invest the life resources needed to effectively revolutionize our nation, using our abundant natural resources to develop products and solutions for our unique needs. 

Kate Isa obtained her BSc from the University of Lagos, an MBA from Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts, a Certificate in Real Estate Finance and Development from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston and has attended several continuous education programs. 

Kate is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, an extravagant philanthropist, and a mobilizer for positive energy towards the actualization of project NIGERIA. Part of Kate’s mission is to help younger women develop the skills they need to thrive professionally and personally, while building a balanced home. She commits herself to helping them become the best versions of themselves, through guidance on navigating the career-family balance, as well as mentorship, enabling them to feel confident, grounded, and secure in themselves and their relationships.

Kate is the wife of Abdulrazaq Isa, the Founder and Chairman of Waltersmith Petroman Oil Limited, and they are the parents of Amina Ezinneka and Zaq Chidiebere.

Adun Okupe CA PhD

Adun is a leading researcher and expert in the fields of tourism, sustainable cultural practices and leadership for societal change. She is the Senior Advisor at Red Clay, the leading tourism advisory practice in West Africa, the Executive Director at The Sahara Centre, a not-for-profit focused on advancing socio-cultural sustainability in Nigeria, and a former lecturer of sustainability and strategy at the Lagos Business School, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria.

Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of socio-cultural leadership, tourism and leisure studies, and the impacts these have on the sustainable development agenda. She has over ten (10) years of research, advisory and work experience in private, commercial and grant-funded infrastructure, tourism and sustainable development projects in sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, and has advised on global policy issues in Europe, Asia, and Africa. She has also provided development advisory services, worked on feasibility studies, implemented master plans and evaluated the economic, social, and environmental impacts of sustainable tourism and urban planning and development.

Adun holds a first-class honors degree in Business Economics from the University of Keele, an MSc in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and a PhD in Strategic Leadership in the Tourism Industry from the University of Surrey, completing her postdoctoral program at the University of Edinburgh. She is also a qualified chartered accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, a fellow of The Higher Education Academy and a member of the Academy of International Business

She has been a reviewer for the Journal of Cleaner Production. She is on the board of Open House Lagos, Kadara Heritage Foundation, a member of the Legacy1995 foundation and the Nigeria Field Society. She regularly contributes to industry reports and magazines and speaks on tourism and hospitality in Africa at international conferences and summits. In addition to her teaching, research and advisory work, he is also involved in community service and philanthropy.

Abayomi Awobunkun

Abayomi Awobokun, is the co-founder of ORBIT54, a seed venture company backing African technology founders. He also founded and led Enyo Retail & Supply, a fast-growing downstream player, that currently distributes up to 2% of national demand for refined products in Nigeria, Enyo was successfully divested to Ardova Plc in Nov 2021.

Mr. Abayomi Awobokun is a 2016 recipient of the Young Global Leader award from the World Economic Forum (WEF), a 2017 recipient of the prestigious Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellow from the African Leadership Initiative (AFLI) in South Africa and in 2018, a 3-time recipient of the top 100 African Business Persons under 40award by the Choiseul Institute in Paris, France.

Abayomi is on the Dean’s Council of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Boston USA, has over 20 years experience in the Oil & Gas and Technology sectors with most of this spent in an executive capacity. Before his role in Enyo Retail & Supply, Abayomi was the CEO of Oando Plc's Downstream Businesses (in Nigeria, West Africa, Europe & the Middle East).

He serves as the chairman of Most Influential People of African Descent MIPAD, is a member of the Institute of Directors and sits on the board of businesses in the Agriculture, Financial Services and Food & Beverage industries.

He is the founder of The September 20 Foundation (TS20F), a voluntary donor-funded initiative to support the operations of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Nigeria.

Ini Abimbola

Ini Abimbola is a business executive with over 20 years’ experience working in the international development space with broad consulting experience & expertise on Corporate Governance, Management Consulting, Sustainability, Development Communications, and Strategy.

Ini is the Founder and former Lead Consultant/CEO of ThistlePraxis Consulting Limited (TPC), a management consulting, sustainability, strategy, and business advisory firm she founded in 2010. TPC provides strategy development, Sustainability management, process improvement, organisational transformation, risk governance, performance management, programme management, and advisory services.

Ini serves as Country & Regional Lead (Sub Saharan Africa) for The CSR Company, a global CSR Network of organisations spanning four continents – South East Asia, Europe, the Middle East & Africa. She is a Lecturer/Member of Faculty, MBA Program on International Corporate Social Responsibility Management at the Ferdinand Porsche FernFH – University of Applied Sciences, Austria.

She guides boards, executives, governance, risk and sustainability practitioners toward social, environmental, and economic innovations that also create shareholder and business value. She is a specialist on corporate governance, sustainability leadership, and transformational business practices and relationships, and has facilitated high-level board retreats and trained C-suite executives both within the private and public sectors.

Before setting up ThistlePraxis Consulting, Ini served as Executive Director of Women in Management & Business (WIMBIZ) as Executive Secretary, where she not only help revitalise the organisation but also moved membership from about 100 members to over 300 members. Ini also created the mentoring program, the corporate governance program for SMEs as well as ensuring the organisation joined global platforms such as the Vital Voices and the African Women Business Network, receiving over $200,000 in grants to enhance its operations in Nigeria.

Ini also served as the pioneer Executive Director, Defence for Children International – Nigeria Section; as a Consultant with the Women, Gender and Development Directorate of the African Union, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as well as the African Centre for Gender & Development within the UN Economic Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

A 2008 Draper Hills Fellow on Democracy, Development & Rule of Law at Stanford University California and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program, Ini holds degrees in International Relations & Diplomacy and Management. She also has a Postgraduate Diploma in Management and a Bachelor’s degree in English Language from the University of Calabar.

A member of the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) and the Institute of Directors (IOD), Ini sits on the boards or advisory councils of various other organisations including Amazing Amazons, BCB Resources, Serendipity Communications, AXL8, SpeedMeals, and GemFactor.