Funmi Omo named amongst top 100 women CEOs in Africa

Funmi Omo, chief executive officer of Nigeria’s foremost life insurer, African Alliance, has been named amongst the top 100 women CEOs on the continent by Reset Global People in partnership with Pulse Media and Avance Media.

According to the organisers, “…the list is to recognize and celebrate the performance and excellence of peak women performers in the limitless business world across the vast continent of Africa. It is an acknowledgement and appreciation of the women leaders who introduce innovation and lead the change.”

Stating further, the organisers listed the criteria for the award to include the size and importance of the woman-led business in the economy, the health and direction of the business, the arc of the woman’s career and social and cultural influence.

Reacting to the honour, Bankole Banjo, Brand, Media and Communications manager, African Alliance, , said the accolade was well deserved and represents an endorsement of the giant strides of Omo in less than two years as the MD/CEO of the legacy life insurer.

“Funmi is a change agent with glowing management and leadership skills that have brought African Alliance out of the doldrums and into reckoning. Really, we are not surprised this accolade has come at this time, her standout achievements are right in the open for everyone to see. Funmi has stabilised the business and put firm structures in place that succeeding generations can build on; we are indeed proud to be associated with her.”

Recall that earlier in the year, Omo led African Alliance through a rebranding process, the first in its 59-year existence. The rebranding has seen the life insurer adopt a robust digital strategy, improve her internal processes, increase its market share and steadily grow its premium income while fulfilling its obligations to its teeming customers. These growth amongst others helped the company clinch an impressive BB+ rating from a lowly BBB- two years ago, according to Agusto, the financial ratings agency.

Modestus Aneasoronye

Modestus Anaesoronye is a leading Nigerian financial journalist with over two decades of experience reporting on the insurance and pension sectors across Nigeria and West Africa. He has held key editorial positions at major national media outlets, including The Comet, The Nation, and Financial Standard, and currently serves as a Senior Financial Analyst at BusinessDay Media Ltd. A widely travelled reporter, he has covered industry developments in more than 14 countries across Africa and Asia. Anaesoronye is a multiple award-winning journalist, honoured several times as Insurance Journalist of the Year and Pension Journalist of the Year by recognised industry bodies, including PensionScope and the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), among others.