Gone are the days when the back seats were reserved for women. It was rare to see women occupy leadership positions, whether in business or politics.
It was common to hear people say it is a man’s world. In fact, some people take the position that a woman belongs “to the kitchen and the other room”, but the narrative is fast changing. Certain women are acting as the game-changers. They are a powerhouse. They are active in the boardroom. One of such trailblazers is Oluwatomi Somefun.
Oluwatomi Somefun is one of the intellectual engines in the Nigerian banking system. The trailblazer was born on the 2nd of October. In 1981, she obtained a Bachelor of Education in English from the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Afterwards, she registered for ICAN exams and became a Chartered Accountant in 1982.
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Oluwatomi Somefun started her career at Peat Marwick & Co. She later moved to Arthur Anderson (now KPMG). She also worked with reputable organisations like Credit Bank Limited, as well as Ventures and Trusts Limited.
Along the line in her career pursuit, she worked at the United Bank of Africa, where she managed various departments and projects. Oluwatomi Somefun served as the first Managing Director of UBA Pension Custodian Limited for eight years. At UBA, she also sat on the board of several subsidiaries like UBA Capital & Trustee Limited, UBA Plc., and UBA Trustee.
In March 2015, she was appointed the Executive Director of Unity Bank. Her indelible performance earned her the position as the Managing Director/CEO of the bank in August 2015.
The phenomenal banker is skilled in financial management, business development, negotiation and business analytics. With over 26 years cognate experience alongside world-class professional trainings and certifications, Oluwatomi Somefun is helping to change the narrative of Unity Bank from being a bank for the aged to one that is all-inclusive.
Oluwatomi Somefun is an alumnus of the renowned Harvard Business School and the University of Columbia Business School. She is a member of the Institute of Directors (IOD), Bank Directors Association of Nigeria (BDAN), and Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN). Also, she is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). In 2016, she was named one of the top 25 most distinguished Chief Executive Officers of quoted Nigerian companies for the 2015 financial year.
She is a corporate game changer, with strong skillset and competence level. One of her favorite mantras is that “greatness is a process and not an event”. It is obvious that Oluwatomi Somefun has paid the price of greatness and her name will be immortalised on the sands of time as an amazon in the Nigerian banking system.
