Funmi Ekundayo emerges president of Corporate Secretaries International Association

Governance expert and seasoned corporate executive Funmi Ekundayo has been announced as the new president of the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA).

Ekundayo currently serves as Group Managing Director of STL Capital Group, a role in which she has led strategic transformation and strengthened the firm’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading trust and fiduciary services institutions.

Her emergence marks a major milestone for Nigeria’s governance community and reinforces Ekundayo’s standing as one of the country’s most accomplished voices in corporate governance, law, and the financial services sector.

CSIA is the foremost body representing governance professionals and corporate secretaries across more than four continents.

An alumna of the Harvard Business School, Ekundayo holds Bachelor and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Lagos and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), where she serves on the Governing Council. She recently completed her term as President and Chairman of the Governing Council of ICSAN (2023–2025), becoming the first female to hold the position in the Institute’s 57-year history, a tenure remembered for significant institutional reforms, capacity building, and unprecedented visibility.

With more than 29 years of professional experience, Ekundayo began her career at Bentley, Edu & Co (in association with Irving & Bonnar), spending nearly a decade in legal practice before transitioning into the financial services and capital markets sector. She later held senior roles at Sterling Asset Management & Trustees and United Capital Trustees, before joining STL Trustees where she rose through the ranks to become MD/CEO and later Group Managing Director of STL Capital Group.

Her professional influence spans multiple sectors and sub sectors. She is a Past President of the Association of Corporate Trustees of Nigeria and previously served as Honorary Treasurer and Vice President of CSIA before assuming its presidency. She is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria; Institute of Capital Market Registrars; the Chartered Institute of Directors; the Institute of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers; and the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals. Ekundayo is an Associate of both the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

In a statement, STL Capital Group said, “We are pleased to share the exciting news that, this afternoon, our MD/CEO was officially announced as the new President of the CSIA. Congratulations are in order as we celebrate this remarkable achievement.”

Funmi on her part, stated that she looks forward to working with member Institutes across the globe to strengthen corporate governance standards, expand professional capacity-building programmes, and further position CSIA as a global leading voice for governance professionals.

Iheanyi Nwachukwu

Iheanyi Nwachukwu, is a creative content writer with almost two decades journalism experience writing on banking, finance, capital markets, and tax. The multiple awards winning journalist is Assistant Editor, BusinessDay. Iheanyi holds BSc Degree in Economics from Imo State University; Master of Science (MSc) Degree in Management from University of Lagos. Iheanyi has attended several work-related trainings including (i) Advanced Writing and Reporting Skills (Pan African University, Lagos); (ii) News Agency Journalism (Indian Institute of Mass Communication {IIMC}, New Delhi, India); and (iii) Capital Markets Development and Regulations (International Law Institute {ILI} of Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA). Other trainings Iheanyi attended include: Economic/Political Risk Analysis (By Thomson Reuters Foundation); International Financial Journalism (IFJ) (By PMA Media Training, UK); Effective Business Writing Skills (By Phillips Consulting); Reporting on Corporate Governance (By International Finance Corporation (IFC) & Thomson Reuters Foundation UK); etc. In addition, he has participated in high-level economy & markets events in Dubai, South Africa, Morocco, and other African countries like Zambia, Ghana and Gambia.