Bola Adesola

Bola Adesola was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd in 2011. She also provides leadership for the Bank’s business across West Africa to drive the continued strengthening of Standard Chartered Bank’s franchise in the region.

Prior to joining the bank, Bola was Executive Director, Corporate Banking in First Bank of Nigeria Plc, Nigeria’s biggest bank, and she also had oversight of the retail and commercial banking business in Lagos. Previously, she was CEO of Kakawa Discount House, Nigeria, a securities trading company where she drove record business performance. Bola Adesola also worked in Citibank for nine years in senior leadership roles in Nigeria and Tanzania.

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985, Bola has over 29 years of banking experience. An alumnus of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, she also holds a Law degree from the University of Buckingham, UK. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Nigeria and sits on the Board of the Financial Markets Dealers Quotations Company. She chairs the Central Bank of Nigeria Bankers’ Sub-Committee on Economic Development, Sustainability and Gender. In addition, Bola sits on the board of the Nigerian Interbank Settlement Systems Plc, and the boards of Standard Chartered in Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire.

In Standard Chartered, Bola is a member of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Council, and is actively involved with women’s networks across the bank. She serves as the President of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association. She was appointed to the Board of the United Nations Global Compact in 2015 and appointed as the Co Vice-Chair of the Board in 2018.

Bola is passionate about the development and economic empowerment of women and in 2001 co-founded Women in Business and Management (WIMBIZ) Nigeria’s fore-most women-oriented network where she remains a member of the Board of Trustees. She actively mentors and coaches young people and is an avid reader and traveller.