Adetola Akinola is a business strategist, relationship officer and entrepreneur with investments in the events, hospitality, real estate, entertainment and automobile industry.
Akinola is a solutions-driven leader with proven record of fostering organisational growth. Her significant expertise in all aspects of non-profit fundraising and development with remarkable experience in organisng and chairing media briefings on policy and leadership reforms have earned her numerous recognitions and board memberships in leading organisations.
Before becoming the Chief Executive Officer at Glitz Group Nigeria Limited comprising of Glitz Event Centre, Glitz Residences and Apartments, and Glitz Garages Limited, which are now among the fastest growing businesses in Lekki, Lagos, the Harvard Business School and Lincoln University (MBA) graduate has led international cross-functional teams in delivering strategic initiatives that improve systems, processes, and bottom-line results that strategically align with organisational vision and goals.
An extensively travelled professional with visits to over 20 states in Nigeria and numerous major countries worldwide in her capacity as an executive of Junior Chamber International (JCI), she was also a banking executive with stints at Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa where her penchant for excellence shone brightly.
As business manager at United Bank for Africa Plc, she achieved extraordinary feats including increasing business volume by 50% in the first year. A trailblazer, she developed new businesses, trained members of staff to achieve the bank’s target and was celebrated with multiple awards including the highly esteemed ‘UBA transformational manager of the year award’ in 2015 for growing the balance sheet of the branch by about 300% in less than a year.
The story wasn’t different at Zenith bank where she was senior assistant manager, managing a portfolio of all major telecommunication companies in Nigeria as well as their vendors and the complete telecoms value-chain.
As a high-flyer, she joined the Junior Chamber International (JCI), and rose through the ranks, occupying many respectable positions locally and internationally while recording many feats.
In her capacity as director of the Southwest (then Area “A”) conference, 2014, she led various teams on different projects including the review of the development of participating national organisation officers and their respective local organisations on procedures and techniques to develop and strengthen the organisation. She initiated a flagship project, ‘Back to School’ involving the donation of vital school items to vulnerable children to reduce the number of out-of-school children in that locality as executive vice president, North West, in 2017.
As executive assistant (for Africa & the Middle East) to the JCI World President in St. Louis, Missouri, USA, in 2018, she played her role efficiently. She coordinated the iAmAfrica campaign to promote peace on the continent among other landmark projects.
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