The Blue Women Of Stanbic IBTC INSPIRATION IN BLUE
(Executive Director, Stanbic IBTC Insurance Brokers) (Executive Director, Investment Management, Stanbic IBTC Asset Management)
Busola Jejelowo, Ibiyemi Mezu and Sakeenat Bakare (in scarf) (sitting from left to right) Wunmi Ehis-Uzenabor and Emi Agaba-Oloja (white pearl necklace)
A FAMILY SUPPORT SYSTEM IS PERTINENT FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE
I started my career about 20 years ago, fresh faced and eager to take on the world after four long years in the university.
My journey for personal learning and development started immediately when I was unable to share scenarios where I had been proactive to my interviewer. Just when I thought I was done with formal education, I realised I needed to learn new skillsets that will help me succeed in my career. That interview experience stirred up the desire to keep learning and made me deeply curious about how organisations work.
One of the biggest challenges in my work life so far was taking the plunge in 2015. After almost ten years of working in the Pension industry, I moved to the Insurance industry. I had little knowledge or experience and I felt like a fish out of water. The regulatory landscape was completely different and the industry itself is a closed caucus of professionals that have worked and served the industry for many years.
The first few months were extremely stressful and I had to rely a lot on my family support system. I think a lot of times women do not ask for help because they do not want to be perceived as weak, this is a façade that we must collectively break. As a full-time working mum, having a support system that I can rely on was very instrumental and helped a great deal.
In addition, working in an organisation that empowers employees and consistently encourages learning and development is a blessing. In all my years working in Stanbic IBTC, I have been encouraged to take bold steps both professionally and personally.
Another important driver for me was defining what success will look like. To thrive in my new industry, I needed to develop the technical competence required. There is no limit to the success that you can achieve if you focus on your goals and you remain resilient.
A ‘CAN DO’ SPIRIT WILL TAKE YOU FAR
I remember when I was graduating from the University, I had written in our class year book that “I wanted to become the MD of the leading Investment Banking Company”, I really did not know what it entailed but that was my aspiration. I remember talking to an older male friend who was already working at the time about my aspiration and asking what I needed to do to make the dream a reality. He expressed his reservations saying that as a woman there was a limit to what could be achieved career wise without compromising my values and belief in God.
Back then the Nigerian Financial Services Industry was a male dominated industry where men brokered deals, executed large transactions and determined the general direction of the markets.
I guess it was therefore with that background in mind that my older friend had tried to discourage me from having lofty dreams and aspirations of making it to the top in my chosen field.
My career started in earnest after completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) when I gained employment with Lead Merchant Bank in the private banking unit. In line with my career aspiration I enrolled for the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers exams and was later transferred to the stockbroking arm of the company’s Lead Securities and Investments LTD. I subsequently became a Stockbroker in an industry dominated by men and determined in my heart to standout and make a difference. Luckily for me, the same year I qualified as a Stockbroker I joined the Investment Banking and Trust Company (IBTC) as a dealer. IBTC was an Organisation which was not gender biased but believed in empowering the best personnel who could deliver on the job. I however needed to navigate the counter party world out there in order to ensure effective delivery of my task. The male brokers were nice but you could tell they considered gender when we were at the table to negotiate transactions, I did not let their view affect my way of working, I would always sit at negotiation tables without seeing gender but allowed superior opinions win. I brought my best to the table or sometimes over delivered to show them that women are equally very good at some of these tasks without compromising my values.
It is this ‘can do’ attitude, and lack of gender bias that has also helped me in my other roles within the organisation
from Heading the Wealth and Investment team to my current role as Executive Director, Investment Management. I have also used my experience to mentor other ladies.
Your dreams and aspirations are valid and you can dare to have them and stick with them, most importantly never ever let your gender limit you.
THERE’S NO LIMIT TO WHAT YOU ACHIEVE WITH DETERMINATION
I started my career journey as a complete greenhorn, all I could do was watch, listen, and learn until I knew what was expected of me. I learnt by asking questions, volunteering, and understudying my colleagues.
The first organisation I worked in, I was part of the Inspection Team and the only female member in charge of inspecting branches and head office units. For seven months, I was assigned to inspect branches and departments within Lagos only until one day, I queried when I noticed that the men in my team got assigned to inspect locations outside of Lagos. I was told that they didn’t think I could do it seeing that I was new. I pointed out to the head of the team that a male colleague of mine who worked mostly outside Lagos was also new as we joined the team on the same day having been through the orientation programme together stating a phrase I had been taught as a child – “what a man can do a woman can do better”. After several discussions and explanations on why he should give me the opportunity, in addition to reminding him of how I had uncovered some irregularities and fraud in the recently concluded audit of the Admin department, he agreed to put me on the team auditing the bank’s Abuja branch in my eighth month.
At the Abuja branch audit, I uncovered another fraud as two Tellers were deducting monies from cash they paid to customers and were crediting the accounts they had opened in the names of their siblings with no one suspecting as they balanced their books daily and never had to carry cash out of their tills. This experience taught me that I need to always speak up for myself and take on new challenges diligently.
My journey in Stanbic IBTC is one where the right values are lived and emphasised - punctuality, integrity, teamwork, hard work, leadership by example, speaking up – giving and receiving feedback as they occur and acting on feedback received. The flat structure policy is one where you can approach any leader and get guidance.
I worked with the mutual funds team, client services, relationship management picking up skills in financial planning, customer service, sales and marketing and leadership. My learning continued, as I was encouraged by my leaders to aspire and embark on self-development which I did as I took on a new role in the Trustee business charting my career of becoming a Trust Estate Practitioner - one of five in Nigeria by the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners worldwide in 2014. In September 2020 and in November 2020 I obtained with a distinction an Executive Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the Swiss Business School.
I hope my journey encourages every woman out there to choose to challenge the status quo by not giving up, by speaking up - addressing the issues and not the person, stick to your values, develop yourself, keep learning and keep growing, continue to find ways to always add value and let your work speak for you as you position yourself for opportunities that would come lurking - some of which you would have to launch out to as they meet you prepared to take them on as they come. Do not also forget the God factor as He gives wisdom, strength, and direction… IT CAN BE.
DOING THE ‘LITTLE THINGS’ MATTER
As I think about my life’s journey, I am reminded of a young lady – Yetunde, who I met a few years ago whilst seated in the waiting room at a tailor’s. I would find out later that she had been on a traineeship programme at the place for some time. I struck a conversation with her and in that, I learned of her vision to attend a higher institution soon if things worked according to plan. She had successfully completed her secondary education and was learning tailoring to stay busy. This lady reminded me of when