Zenith Bank Plc has selected Dr. Adaora Umeoji as its new Group Managing Director, starting from June 1, 2024.
This information was revealed in a statement signed by the Company Secretary, Michael Otu, and submitted to the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Tuesday.
Umeoji will replace the current GMD, Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, as his term ends on May 31.
“Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji is the first female GMDCEO since the inception of the bank, and her appointment is consistent with the bank’s executive transition tradition, succession plan, and strategy of grooming leaders from within,” a section of the statement mentioned.
Before this appointment, Umeoji has served as the Deputy Managing Director of the bank since October 28, 2016 and has close to 30 years of banking experience of which 26 years has been with Zenith Bank.
According to her profile, Umeoji has attended the Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School, and holds a Certificate in the Global Banking Program from Columbia Business School. She obtained 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 has a Master of Laws from the University of Salford, United Kingdom, a Master in Business Administration from the University of Calabar, and a doctorate in business administration from Apollos University, USA. She also has a Certificate in Economics for Business from the renowned MIT Sloan School of Management, USA, and has participated in various management programmes at prestigious universities worldwide, including the strategic thinking and Management programme at Wharton Business School, USA.
Following this appointment, Umeoji will become one of the female bank MDs in Nigeria and will be the first female MD of the bank.
Zenith Bank is one of the largest banks in Nigeria, belonging to the group of banks with a market value exceeding N1 trillion.
At the end of trading on Tuesday, Zenith Bank had a value of N 1.19 trillion, with its shares priced at N38.1 per unit.
