Juliet Ehimuan: A Digital Guru and Leading Voice on Innovation, Transformation

 

 

THOMAS IMONIKHE

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For many financial experts the recent appointment of Dr. Juliet Ehimuan, founder and Chief Executive Officer, CEO of Beyond Limits and the immediate past Director of Google West Africa, as a Non-Executive Director of Zenith Bank Plc by its Board of Directors wasn’t happenstance given her towering and intimidating background as a leading voice on innovation, transformation, and leadership in the digital ecosystem for over two decades.

 

Even stakeholders familiar with the antecedent of Zenith Bank founder and chairman Mr. Jim Ovia’s uncommon trait of discovering and recruiting talents in the banking sector, are unanimous that the coming on board of the appointee to the management team will impact positively on the bank’s renewed drive to upscale its cutting edge services to millions of customers and sustain its tradition of excellence.

It is also in tandem with the bank’s mission – “To build the Zenith brand into a reputable international financial institution recognized for innovation, superior performance and creation of premium value for all stakeholders”.

 

Truly, it can only take the current Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital for the 14th year in a row, in the 2023 Top 1000 World Banks’ Rankings, published in the latest edition of The Banker Magazine of the Financial Times Group, United Kingdom, to attract Juliet described by one financial analyst as a pearl and toast of the digital space, to the competitive banking and ICT sectors in the country.

 

And as a first class expert with tremendous skill and experience, she certainly, will fit in perfectly in her new role as independent advisor to make and share qualitative input with the executive members of management in the “planning and framing of the bank’s policies, strategic development through positive criticism, external experience, and expertise” as well as ensuring that management responsibilities to the board and shareholders are fulfilled especially through improved dividends and increasing returns on investment.

 

Dr. Ehimuan whose appointment has also be confirmed by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN is deep rooted in the ever dynamic socio-economic business environment and the immediate past Director of Google West Africa.

 

Apparently, it was her sterling performance, unblemished track record of service and positive impacts in past sensitive assignments that informed the latest appointment and made Forbes name her as one of the top 20 Power Women in Africa, earlier, listed by the London Business School, LBS, as one of 30 people changing the world, and rated among the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).

According to her official profile, the computer scientist has featured in the BBC Africa Power Women series, and on CNN Innovate Africa in addition to a blossoming career spanning over 25 years primarily in Technology, Oil & Gas, and New Media industries across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

 

It is also note worthy too, that during her remarkable 12-year tenure at Google, Juliet played strategic and pivotal role in expanding the company’s presence in Nigeria and the entire West Africa region even as she championed transformational initiatives to increase digital access, local content development, skills acquisition, entrepreneurial growth, innovation, and fostered strategic partnerships with leading private sector and government institutions.

 

As a matter of fact, her well documented contributions to the tech ecosystem in Nigeria and Africa at large and active participation in several committees that developed the national broadband plan and Information Communication Technology, ICT, incubation strategy in Nigeria, and had similarly been involved in national strategic advisory groups focused on economic growth.

 

This, to a great extent demonstrated Juliet’s total commitment and outstanding contributions to shaping the future of technology and digital landscape in Africa for which she has been bestowed with numerous awards and holds board positions across several industries including Finance, FMCG, Oil & Gas, Education and social enterprises.

 

It is on record that Dr. Ehimuan started her working career in 1995, as Performance Monitoring and Quality Assurance Supervisor at the Shell Petroleum Development Company, SPDC until 1997 when she left the firm for Microsoft UK as a Program Manager who oversaw projects for MSN subsidiaries in Europe, Middle East, and Africa; and also Business Process Manager for MSN International.

 

Similarly, the multi-talented and versatile Nigerian upon quitting Microsoft in 2005, started a firm known as Strategic Insight Consulting Ltd before her appointment as the General Manager of Chams Plc’s Strategic Business Units, a position she held until April 2011, when she was appointed Google’s Country Manager for Nigeria.

 

Born in Nigeria, Juliet holds a Doctoral degree in Business from Walden University in Minneapolis, United States, an Executive MBA from the London Business School, a Postgraduate degree in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge; and a BSc in Computer Engineering (1st class honours) from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

 

She has bagged several amazing laurels and worthy recipient of the prestigious London Business School Global Women’s Scholarship, the Selwyn College Scholar award at Cambridge University, the Malaysian Commonwealth Scholar and a Fellow of the Cambridge Commonwealth Society.

 

Named the IT Personality of the Year in 2012 by the Nigeria Computer Society, Digital Personality of the year 2016 by Marketing World, she received a 2015 Titans of Technology award from Technology Africa, author of ‘30 Days of Excellence’, a member of the Forbes Coaches’ Council, business leader, technology executive, social entrepreneur, advocate for women in technology and entrepreneurship.

 

In June 2023, she voluntarily stepped down from her role as Director at Google West Africa after  12 years of unblemished and meritorious service in the company. Her laurels also include a ranking among the 50 Most Innovative Youths in Nigeria in 2021 and named as one of the “15 African Female Founders You Should Know in 2023” by African Folder in March 2023.

 

In the words of a financial guru, Juliet’s impeccable record of strict adherence to “high ethical standards, corporate governance, global best practices, excellent attention to details, mathematical and analytical skills, great customer service skills, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in past sensitive position are some of the major attributes that must have informed her latest appointment as a Non-Executive of Nigeria’s leading commercial bank”, adding that she would prove her mettle.