Zenith Bank, a leading commercial bank in Nigeria, has announced the appointment of Adaora Umeoji as its new Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO).
This information was disclosed in a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) on Tuesday, signed by the bank’s Secretary, Michael Osilima.
Umeoji’s appointment, effective from June 1, 2024, marks her as the first woman to assume this role. She will succeed Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose tenure as GMD/CEO concludes on May 31 this year.
Before her appointment as CEO, Umeoji served as the Deputy Managing Director of Zenith Bank since October 28, 2016, as per the bank’s corporate filing. With over 30 years of banking experience, 26 of which were spent with Zenith Bank, Umeoji brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role.
Umeoji is a distinguished alumna of Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School, where she completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) and the Global Banking Program, respectively. She holds degrees in Sociology, Accounting, and Law, with first-class honors from the University of Jos and Baze University, Abuja. Additionally, she has a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, UK, an MBA from the University of Calabar, and a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA.
She has also earned a Certificate in Economics for Business from the renowned MIT Sloan School of Management, USA, and has participated in various management programs at prestigious universities worldwide, including Wharton Business School, USA, and Harvard Business School, USA.
Umeoji is a fellow of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Banker Institute, UK; Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management. In 2022, the Nigerian federal government recognized her contributions to nation-building by awarding her the title of Officer of the Order of Nigeria (OON).
Umeoji is a peace advocate of the United Nations (UN-POLAC) and the founder of the Catholic Bankers Association of Nigeria (CBAN), where she advocates for ethical banking and service to humanity.
