Over 2000 Women shared Conversations on Empowerment & Capacity Building at the 2019 WIMBIZ Conference

WIMBIZ Day 1 speakers with Chairperson and BOT Chair

The Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ) 2019 Conference focused on EMPOWERMENT and CAPACITY BUILDING, brought more than 2000 women together to make important connections and to learn from and motivate each other. This year’s edition held from November 7th & 8th and was themed, ‘Shaping the Future: Strategizing to Win’

Chairperson of the conference planning group and outgoing Chairperson of the WIMBIZ Executive Council, Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi observed that the organization is making important strides in equality and diversity in the workplace. She charged women to leverage their strengths and the inherent ability within them to make something out of their future.

She noted to the thousands of women gathered at the Eko Convention Center that “being reactionary or passive limits the range of our choices. The future takes the form we give it. If we do not deliberately take steps to shape the future we desire for ourselves, our family, our community then it’s as though we have inadvertently given other people the permission to determine how our lives turn out” she said.

Keynote speakers at the WIMBIZ 2019 Annual Conference, First Lady of Ekiti State, Erelu Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and Founder of Africa Leadership Group, Fred Swaniker discussed the critical roles that diverse, multi-talented women would play in the world of business, politics, and management.

Attendees were also treated to insightful panel discussions and workshops on topics that included closing the wage gap, building solidarity, financial planning, advocacy, and entrepreneurship.

WIMBIZ also honored two women recognized for blazing the trail in the civil service, having contributed to the growth and sustainability of the public sector. According to the organization, these women broke the glass ceiling by being the first two women to head the civil service of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; Chairman of Chantaly Engineering Services, Engr Ebele Okeke (OON, CFR) and Board Member of SunTrust Bank, Amal Inyingiala (CFR) received the 2019 WIMBIZ Female Achievers Awards, presented by First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun.

Speakers at the two-day event included: Consul General at U.S. Consulate General Lagos, Claire Pierangelo; British Deputy High Commissioner in Abuja, Gill Atkinson; Founding Partner at Banwo & Ighodalo, Asue Ighodalo; Nigerian journalist Kiki Mordi; Senior Vice-Chair of Standard Chartered Bank, Bola Adesola; MD, Siemens Nigeria, Onyeche Tifase and Group Exec Director at Rainoil Limited, Godrey Ogbechie among others.

According to the outgoing WIMBIZ Board of Trustees Chair, Funmi Roberts, the 2019 conference recorded the largest number of registrations in the history of the conference to date.

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