Zenith Bank PLC has announced the appointment of Dame (Dr.) Adaora Umeoji, OON as group Managing Director/Chief Executive with effect from June 1, 2023 subject to approval from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). According to the Guardian Newspaper, she will be taking over from Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu, whose five-year term expires on May 31, 2024.

Adaora Umeoji will be the first female GMD. CEO 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. Umeoji was the deputy managing Director of the bank since October 28, 2016 and has close to thirty years of cognate banking experience of which twenty-six have been with Zenith Bank. She is am alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School where she attended the advanced management Program (AMP) and alumnus of Columbia Business School with a certificate in the Global Banking Program. She is a graduate of Sociology from the University of Jos, a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and first-Class honours in Law from Baze University Abuja. She holds a Masters of Law from the University of Sanford, United Kingdom, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Calabar, and has a doctorate in Business Administration from Apollo’s University, USA.

She holds a Certificate in Economics for Business from the prestigious MIT Sloan School of management, USA and has attended various management programmes in renowned Universities around the world including strategic thinking and management programme at Wharton Business School, USA. She also attended the executive program in strategic management and has a certificate in leading Global Business all from Harvard Business School, USA.

Umeoji is a fellow of notable professional bodies including the Chartered Banker Institute, UK, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Management, Institute of credits Administration, Institute of certified Administration, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria, Institute of Chartered mediators and conciliators, and the Institute of chattered secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria among others.

In 20222, she was honoured with Officer of the Order of the Niger as a recognition of her contributions to nation building. She is a Pace Advocate of the United Nations (UN-POLAC).

She is a philanthropist and has humanitarian activities through her NGOs, Pink Breath cancer Foundation and the Adorable Foundation, which educates, and caters for Cancer patients and indigent children education especially the Girl-child. Her contribution to humanity was recognized by the Sun-newspaper, which recently bestowed on her the Humanitarian Service Icon Award for 2023.

She founded the Catholic bankers Association of Nigeria (CBAN) a platform she uses to promote ethical banking and service to humanity as a result of her passion for promoting professionalism in the banking industry and improving the well-being of the less privileged