Zenith Bank Appoints First Female CEO

On Tuesday, Zenith Bank Plc appointed its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Adaora Umeoji.

Umeoji’s appointment, which was disclosed in a statement signed by the company secretary, Michael Otu, and filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited, will take effect from June 1, 2024.

The development follows the expiration of the current GMD, Dr Ebenezer Onyeagwu’s term on May 31, 2024.

Before her appointment, Umeoji served as the Deputy Managing Director of the bank since October 28, 2016, accumulating nearly 30 years of banking experience, with 26 of those years at Zenith Bank.

She is an alumnus of Harvard Business School, where she completed the Advanced Management Programme.

The New CEO also holds a Certificate in the Global Banking Program from Columbia Business School.

Her educational background includes 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 furthered her studies with a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom (UK), and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Calabar.

Furthermore, she holds a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.

Checks revealed she also attended the strategic thinking and management program at Wharton Business School, USA, and holds a Certificate in Economics for Business from the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management.