Bola Adesola
Tribute
In Nigeria, Bola Adesola guides Nigeria's financial sector as Chairman of Ecobank with the same steady hands that raised her twin daughters. With her experience as the first Nigerian and first female CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, she reminds her children that womanhood as no boundaries. We honour the safe spaces she created at home and work, the volunteer work she has done to encourage other women through WIMBIZ and how her life tells women that they never have to question if they belong at the table.
Profile
Bola Adesola is a seasoned Nigerian business leader with over 33 years of experience in the banking sector. She currently serves as the Chairman of Ecobank Nigeria Limited and has been the Chairman of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund since 2020. Previously, she was the first Nigerian and first female CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, where she led from 2011 to 2018 before being promoted to Senior Vice-Chairman for Africa. She began her banking career at Prime Merchant Bank as a Treasury Officer, later spending nine years at Citibank Nigeria in senior management roles, including as Country Treasurer for Citibank Tanzania. She also served as the Managing Director/CEO of Kakawa Discount House and as an Executive Director at First Bank of Nigeria. Beyond banking, Adesola is committed to gender equality and economic empowerment. She co-founded and served as Chairperson of Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), an organization dedicated to advancing women in leadership. She was appointed to the United Nations Global Compact Board by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2015 and later became its Co-Vice-Chair. Her leadership extends across various boards, reflecting her dedication to sustainability, governance, and women’s empowerment. Bola Adesola is also a mother of twin girls.