The board of directors of Unilever Nigeria Plc has appointed Mr. Bolaji Balogun as Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of the company.
Additionally, the company also appointed Ms. Ngozi Edozien as Independent Non-Executive Director of the company.
According to the company’s notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and the investment public seen by Nairametrics, both appointments are with effect from 16th May 2024.
The board noted that it welcomed Ms. Ngozi Edozien and Mr. Bolaji Balogun and wished them all the best in their new roles.
According to the statement signed by the company’s management, Mr. Bolaji Balogun is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Chapel Hill Denham and Chief Investment Officer of the Nigeria Infrastructure Debt Fund.
He has over thirty-five years of experience in investment banking, investment management, investing, and mobile telecommunications.
Chapel Hill Denham, which he founded in April 2005, is Nigeria’s leading investment bank, leading alternatives investment manager, and impact investment firm focused on areas accretive to Nigeria and Africa’s sustainable development with funds in infrastructure, renewables, climate, real estate, gender, venture, and creative economy.
Bolaji spent over a decade with FCMB Group, in investment banking and securities trading, until January 2001, when he left to become a co-founder and Director of Econet Wireless Nigeria, now Airtel Nigeria. Bolaji led the fundraising and license bid auction for Econet Wireless Nigeria’s $285 million GSM license.
He joined the business from inception as Chief Business Development & Strategy Officer and was appointed Chief Marketing Officer in October 2001. The $1.67 billion sale of Econet Wireless to Celtel in 2005, remains Nigeria’s single largest successfully exited private investment.
Bolaji left mobile telecommunications and returned to financial services when he founded Chapel Hill in 2005. Prior to Econet Wireless and from April 1993 to January 2001, he was Executive Director/COO at CSL Stockbrokers Limited. Bolaji was Executive Director, FCMB Capital Markets from January 1996.
He is a board member of the United Nations Global Compact and is a Co-Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Group on the SDGs.
He is Chairman of Endeavor Nigeria and a Director of Trustfund Pensions, one of Nigeria’s largest pension fund managers. He is a former Chairman of Lafarge Africa Plc and Nahco FTZ Limited and a former Director of Nahco Aviance Plc and NASD OTC Plc.
Bolaji was appointed to the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Africa Advisory Board, in September 2009. Bolaji is an Economics (Honours) graduate of the London School of Economics.
He was educated at Charterhouse, Godalming, Surrey, United Kingdom, and at Igbobi College, Lagos, Nigeria.
Ms. Edozien is a well-rounded business professional with over 35 years of global leadership experience spanning management consulting; general management; private equity/venture capital; finance, sustainability, and strategic planning/business development in multi-national companies in Europe, the USA, and Africa.
She had her education in the Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Harvard University, and also obtained her Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, Harvard University. Ngozi’s professional experience cuts across JP Morgan & Company, INC, New York, and Pfizer Global Pharmaceuticals (PGP) Planning and Business Development which are both Fortune 500 companies.
She is the founder and Managing Director of Invivo Partners Limited, a firm founded to do principal investing, advisory, and operational support to investee companies (SMEs and start-ups), and was prior to this, the CEO of Actis West Africa (Actis LLP).
Aside her professional experience, Ngozi has a robust board experience in her arsenal. Her board experience cuts across organisations in the finance and manufacturing sectors, amongst others.
She has served as a non-executive board member to companies such as Stanbic IBTC Holdings (Nigeria), Barloworld Plc JSE, South Africa, PZ Cussons Plc (LSE listed), UAC Plc (Nigeria), Seven Energy (UK), Mouka Foam (Nigeria), Pagatech Limited (Nigeria), Physio Centres of Africa (Nigeria) and Africa Investor Magazine Board.
She currently sits on the board of Imperial Brands PLC (UK), Bank of Africa/BMCE Group (Morocco), Diageo/Guinness Nigeria PLC; and Ikeja Hotels Plc, Nigeria.
She also sits as a board member of nonprofit organisations such as Harvard Club of Nigeria where she is the Treasurer.