Career
Ayo Mairo-Ese, Nneka Eneli, Busola Odusanya Make 9to5Chick’s Top 100 Career Women In Africa
9to5Chick, a career development platform for Africa’s most ambitious women, has broadened its horizons from its former focus on Nigeria to recognize the outstanding work and remarkable achievements of mid- and senior-level female professionals across Africa.
The platform’s top 100 career women list had focused on celebrating only Nigerian women in its former editions. In the latest instalment, it takes it up a notch by recognizing the voices and impacts of African women in the corporate sector who are defying the odds and disrupting the status quo in their industries.
Drawing inspiration from the theme of the 2023 International Women’s Day, ‘Embrace Equity’, the latest edition features women from 5 African regions across 18 countries who have been evaluated based on the influence of their role, their impact, including giveback initiatives both within and outside their careers, documented thought leadership, and their career achievements.
The breakdown of the representation from the different African regions consists of West Africa (64), East Africa (16), Southern Africa (16), North Africa (3), and Central Africa (1).
This evaluation was carried out by an independent advisory panel comprising Yemi Faseun, Chief Talent Officer at YF Talent Partners; Osayi Alile, CEO of Aspire Coronation Trust; Funke Amobi, Regional Head of People & Culture Nigeria & West Africa at Standard Bank Group; Nkiru Olumide-Ojo, Africa Regions Executive Head, Marketing Corporate Communications & CSI at Standard Bank Group; and Tewa Onasanya, Founder and CEO of Exquisite Magazine Services Ltd.
The president of the 9to5Chick, Glory Edozien PhD, “We are proud to celebrate African women on the continent working in the corporate sector. We believe that this list goes beyond celebrating these women, but is also wholly inspirational to women across Africa and the diaspora. It’s not only about the power of the African woman but her drive, and her contributions to the continent. Our goal is to amplify the voices of these women who have achieved so much but may not have received the recognition they deserve. We hope that this recognition will inspire more women to pursue their dreams, break barriers, and make a positive impact in their communities.”
See the list below:
- Audrey Abakah
SME, Agency banking and Partnership / Absa, Ghana
- Catherine Mwakasitu
Head of Finance and Operations/Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania, Tanzania
- Carol Ariyibi
Head, Corporate Transformation/ARM Holding Company Ltd., Nigeria
- Andrea Quaye
Snr Director, Global Category Lead – Coffee, The Coca-Cola Company, South Africa
- Linda Obi
Head of Global Operations, Zenith Chain, Nigeria
- Cany Jobe
Director of Exploration and Production, Gambia National Petroleum Corporation, Gambia
- Vuyo Henda
Chief Marketing Officer, Spur Corporation, South Africa
- Mary Ojulari
Managing Director, Weststar Associates Limited(Mercedes-Benz Nigeria), Nigeria
- Rita Opiah
General Manager, Park Inn by Radisson Serviced Apartments, Nigeria
- Nneka Eneli
Director of Outsourcing, Workforce Group, Nigeria
- Sophie Okonkwo
Tech HR, Microsoft, Nigeria
- Kelechi Mbah
Chief Marketing Officer, Digital Jewels Limited, Nigeria
- Faustina Fynn-Nyame
Executive Director for Africa, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, Kenya
- Ayo Mairo-Ese
Anchor, Arise News, Nigeria
- Arit Okpo
CNN African Voices Changemakers, Nigeria
- Busola Odusanya
Senior Attorney (In-House Counsel), ExxonMobil, Nigeria
- Dr. Olukemi Olugbade
Medical Epidemiologist, Public Health Physician, Nigerian Ministry of Defence, Nigeria
- Dr. Adetola Salau
Senior Special Assistant on Education to the Governor, Lagos State, Lagos State Government, Nigeria
- Eloho Omame
Partner, TLcom Capital LLP, Nigeria
- Eve Banda
Executive Head, People & Marketing, Hollard Insurance, South Africa
- Ezinne Anosike
Head, People & Culture, Stanbic IBTC Bank, Nigeria
- Farida Bedwei
Principal Software Engineer, Microsoft, Ghana
- Folarinle Akinrinola
Indirect Channels Director, sub-Saharan Africa, GE Healthcare, Nigeria
- Hadiza Adukonu
Vice President, Corporate Development, West Titan Energy Nigeria
- Ibukun Abidoye
Executive Vice President, Chocolate City Music, Nigeria
- Ifesinachi Okoli-Okpagu
Chief Marketing Officer, Heirs Insurance, Nigeria
- Juliet Okene
Payroll Benefits Manager, Total Energies
Nigeria
- Jumoke Aleoke-Malachi
Head Talent Management, WEMA Bank, Nigeria
- Jumoke Fajemirokun
Partner, ENR Advisory, Nigeria
- Kai Orga
MD, ARM Investment Managers, Nigeria
- Ladi Stephen
Country Director/USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management, Angola
- Lola Aworanti
Chief Digital Officer, FBNQuest, Nigeria
- Lucy Wairimu
Director of People and Culture, Mercy Corps, Kenya
- Mariama Wurie
Education Consultant and Communications Consultant, The World Bank. Sierra Leone
- Mojisola Olurotimi
People Operations Business Partner, Maruchi Global, Nigeria
- Nabila Aguele
Special Adviser to Nigeria’s Minister of Finance, Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Nigeria, Nigeria
- Nkem Offonabo
Head, Employee Service and Wellness/Premium Trust Bank, Nigeria
- Nthabi Motsoeneng
Marketing Director South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa at Pernod Ricard, South Africa
- Oge Maduagwu
West Africa Media Manager, Unilever, Nigeria
- Olufunke Baruwa
Program Officer, Ford Foundation, Nigeria
- Oluwasola Obagbemi
Corporate Communications Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Meta, Nigeria
- Oluwatoyin Aralepo
Global Head of Finance, Program FP&A, Mastercard Foundation, Nigeria
- Zethu Dlamini
Chief Marketing Officer, FNB Eswatini, Eswatini
- Vere Shaba
Carbon Monetisation Cluster, Built by Nature, South Africa
- Tolulope Osindero
Head, Legal & Compliance/Branch International, Nigeria
- Tolulope Ita
Country Manager / International Beverages Consultancy, Nigeria
- Tesi Rusagara
Managing Director / Kigali Innovation City, Rwanda
- Temitope Yusuff
Director, Internal Audit and Risk Management / IHS Towers, Nigeria
- Temi Dalley
Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO)/Sterling Bank/, Nigeria
- Tega Onojaife
Sports Producer/Presenter / SMOOTH FM 98.1, Nigeria
- Tasha Mills
Director of People and Partnerships/NIYEL, Senegal
- Sylvia Mulinge
CEO / MTN Uganda, Uganda
- Prudence Masako
Country Director/CARE, Tanzania
- Patricia Luhanga
Corporate Affairs Manager/Electoral Commission of Zambia, Zambia
- Osasuyi Dirisu
Executive Director / Policy Innovation Centre, Nigeria
- Peace Nnabugwu
Renewable Energy Consultant / Energy Commission of Nigeria, Nigeria
- Ory Okolloh
Partner/Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, Kenya
- Onemhinye Bayode
Senior Director – Strategy (Africa Middle East and South Asia)/ PepsiCo, South Africa
- Fatima Kyari Mohammed
African Union Permanent Observer to the United Nations, NY., Nigeria
- Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health,
OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, South Africa
- VERA KAMTUKULE
Minister of Tourism, Malawi Government, Malawi
- CARINE TOURE YEMITIA
Regional Senior Procurement Officer,
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), COTE D’IVOIRE
- Dagmawit Moges
Director, Peace Fund Secretariat, African Union Commission, Ethiopia
- RAMATU ABDULKADIR
Head of Pharmacy Department, National Ear Care Centre, Kaduna, Nigeria
- Ifeoma Agu
Marketing Manager, International Premium Spirits & Reserve Brands, Diageo, Nigeria
- Dolapo Oshiegbu
Plant Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Nigeria
- Ayodeji Ajibola
HR Director – Guinness Nigeria, Nigeria
- Nadia Ahmed
Councilor, New Voices Council, Apolitical Foundation, KENYA
- Niven Postma
Tutor, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), SOUTH AFRICA
- Ayodele Olojede
Group Head, Emerging Businesses Africa/ Access Bank Plc, Nigeria
- Lumun Amanda Feese
Technical advisor Ministry of mines and steel, Nigeria
- Rania Al Mashat
Minister of International Cooperation, Egypt
- Noha El Ghazaly
Egypt Country Advisor, Mediterrania Capital Partners, Egypt
- Shirley Tony Kum
Corporate Communications Manager, Vivo Energy Ghana, Ghana
- Praise (Dogah) Nutakor
Head of Communications and Partnerships – UNDP Ghana, Ghana
- Annette Kanora
Head of PR & Communications, Vodacom Tanzania, Tanzania
- Cynthia Ofori-Dwumfuo
Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Affairs, Hollard Ghana Holdings, Ghana
- Moky Makura
Executive Director, Africa No Filter, SOUTH AFRICA
- Keneiloe Molopyane
Scientific researcher, University of the Witwatersrand, South AFRICA
- Funke Jaiyesimi
Marketing Manager, Janssen Pharmaceutical Company, Nigeria
- Angela Mensah-Poku
Director of Digital and Commercial Operations, Vodafone Ghana, Ghana
- Angela Ndambuki
Regional Director Sub-Saharan Africa, International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Kenya
- Debra Mallowah
Vice President, East, and Central Africa Franchise, The Coca-Cola Company, Kenya
- Evelyne Dioh Simpa
Managing Director, WIC Capital, Senegal
- Naomi Wanjiru Njeri Monobolou
Senior Programme Budget and Policy Officer / African Development Bank Group, Côte d’Ivoire
- Fathima Ebrahim
Head of Marketing, Liquid Intelligent Technologies South Africa, South Africa
- Jocelyn Muhutu Remy
Managing Director, Spotify Sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa
- Lilian Onyach
Head Consumer and High Net Worth, Stanbic Bank Kenya, Kenya
- Monali Shah
Board Advisor, Pixis, Nigeria
- Temitope Iluyemi
Senior Director, Procter & Gamble, Nigeria
- Yolanda Cuba
Group Regional Vice President Southern & East Africa, MTN Group, South Africa
- Angela Kyerematen-Jimoh
Strategic Partnerships and Multinational Corporations Lead Africa, Microsoft, Morocco
- FATOUMATA DORO
Managing Director Vlisco, Ghana
- ELIZABETH WATHUTI
Head of Campaigns and Daima Consortium Coordinator, Wangari Maathai Foundation, Kenya
- ANNA EKELEDO
Executive Director at AfriLabs Foundation, Nigeria
- CAREN WAKOLI
Interim Executive Director, Emerging Public Leaders, Kenya
- CHIDO CLEOPATRA MPEMBA
Special Envoy on Youth, African Union Chairperson & Cabinet, South Africa
- Jemimah Jatau
Consultant – Gender and Social Inclusion Consultant
USAID | Power Africa Nigeria Power Sector Program, Nigeria
- YAWA HANSEN-QUAO
Director, Ashesi University, Ghana
- Abena Osei-Poku
Managing Director, Absa Bank Ghana Limited, Ghana
