Zenith Bank has announced the appointment of Adaora Umeoji as its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO).
The bank disclosed this information on Tuesday through a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX), signed by its Secretary, Michael Osilima.
Adaora Umeoji’s appointment is scheduled to commence from June 1, 2024, marking her as the first female to assume this position in the bank’s history.
She will succeed Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose tenure as GMD/CEO concludes on May 31 this year.
Prior to her appointment as CEO, Umeoji served as the deputy managing director of Zenith since October 28, 2016, according to the bank’s corporate filing.
With over 30 years of banking experience, 26 of which have been with Zenith Bank, Umeoji brings a wealth of expertise to her new role.
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.
Umeoji furthered her education with a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar. She also holds a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.
Additionally, she has attended prestigious institutions such as Harvard Business School, Columbia Business School, and MIT Sloan School of Management, acquiring certificates and honing her skills in various management programs.
Umeoji is affiliated with several professional bodies including the Chartered Banker Institute, UK; Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to nation-building, she was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of Nigeria (OON) by the federal government of Nigeria in 2022.
An advocate for peace under the United Nations (UN-POLAC) and the founder of the Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria (CBAN), Umeoji is dedicated to promoting ethical banking practices and serving humanity.
A video circulating on social media captures the excitement of staff as Adaora Umeoji emerges as the first female MD of Zenith Bank.
Watch the video below:
The moment staff were up in excitement as Adaora Umeoji emerges the first female MD of Zenith bank pic.twitter.com/pEGmU7SeOA
— Instablog9ja (@instablog9ja) March 20, 2024
KanyiDaily had also reported how Ogun State High Court ordered Zenith Bank Plc to pay N500,000 as damages for sending spam messages to a woman identified as Omotola Fathiat Quadri.