Victoria Adefala, Managing Partner, Whitgift Law

Called to the Nigerian Bar in 1988, Victoria Osondu Adefala is a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL. B) degree, and a Master of Laws (LL.M) in International Law from the University of Houston Bates Law School, Houston, Texas.

Victoria’s career and experience has spanned the manufacturing sector where she spent sixteen years with the Michelin Group. She worked in diverse departments in the Company, including the Legal department at the Head Quarters in Clermont Ferrand, France. Before leaving Michelin, she attained the position of Executive Director of Michelin in Nigeria. Throughout her career at Michelin, she was responsible for Government relations and in this role, she was extensively exposed to the practice of private sector advocacy & Lobbying in France, Washington, and the European Union Head Quarters in Brussels. She actively participated in the business community of Manufacturers in Nigeria and has deep experience and knowledge of the sector.

Victoria is a founding Partner of Whitgift Law; however, she took a leave of absence from the Law firm to answer to an opportunity to be the Nigerian Country President and CEO of Alstom Group (the Leading French Power and High-Speed Train Manufacturer), a role she held for 7 years. Victoria Adefala has wide experience in the Power sector as well as good knowledge of the Rail Transport business.

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Following her voluntary exit from Alstom Group, she returned to Whitgift Law as Managing Partner.

Whitgift is a Lagos based Law firm engaged in traditional as well as emerging disciplines of law. The firm is principally involved in but not limited to commercial and corporate legal practice, and is in partnership with combined bar experience exceeding seventy-two years.

A corporate governance expert with extensive local and international boardroom experience, Victoria currently sits as an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of several organisations and businesses including Guaranty Trust Bank PLC; Coronation Registrars Limited; The French Nigeria Chamber of Commerce (FNCCI); Societe Francaise Orange Middle East and Africa Paris (Orange Telecom); Interswitch Holdings Ltd, United Kingdom. She also served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Italian oil and gas engineering Company Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited from 2016 to 2019.

Victoria Adefala is a keen leadership scholar and has completed Executive Leadership and Governance Programmes at the Columbia University, Graduate School of Business New York, the Stanford University, Graduate School of Business California, INSEAD Business School France, Harvard Business School, IESE Business School, Barcelona and the London Business School.