Live2Lead Lagos 2026: From Vision to Execution

Stephanie Chung is the author of Ally Leadership: How To Lead People Who Are Not Like You. She is a business growth strategist with more than 30 years of experience driving organizational transformation. She served as Chief Growth Officer for Wheels Up and became the first African American to lead sales for a private jet company (JetSuite). She serves on several advisory boards and has been recognized as one of Adweek's Women Trailblazers and Ebony's Power 100. Her work has reached 101 countries and been translated into 60 languages.

Wale's raison d'être is centred around empowering people and organisations to grow businesses that foster economic development.

He studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Ibadan and possesses a Master of Science degree in Financial Economics from the University of London. He has also participated in Harvard Business School's Advanced Management Programme.

Wale's career spans over 3 decades; the bulk of this spent at Ernst & Young (EY) and Guaranty Trust Bank. Wale was an Executive Director at GTBank and had also served as the Managing Director at GTBank UK. He was an Independent Non-Executive Director at Stanbic IBTC Bank. Wale was MD/CEO of Nova Bank where he oversaw its transition from a Merchant Bank to a Commercial Bank. He is the Group Managing Director of FirstHoldCo Plc, parent company of the oldest bank in Nigeria, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd.

He loves sharing the Gospel, playing Squash and at the moment is a somewhat Happy Gunner. Wale is married to his dear wife, Carol, and they are blessed with lovely children.

FRC · YeyeOba of Iyin Ekiti Kingdom

Adejoke Chukwumah, FRC is an accomplished education entrepreneur, corporate leader, and governance professional whose career spans nearly four decades across banking, business leadership, education, and corporate governance.

She is the Founder and Director of Children's International School (CIS), Lagos, one of Nigeria's leading international schools. Since establishing the school in 2003, she has been instrumental in shaping generations of young leaders through a steadfast commitment to academic excellence, innovation, character development, and global citizenship.

Before founding CIS, Mrs. Chukwumah built a distinguished career in Nigeria's financial services sector, serving in senior leadership roles at Continental Merchant Bank, Chartered Bank, and Guaranty Trust Bank, where she gained extensive experience in consumer and corporate banking, corporate affairs, strategic management, and business development before transitioning fully into educational leadership.

Beyond her executive career, Mrs. Chukwumah is a respected board chair and director, providing strategic leadership across the financial services and education sectors. She sits on the boards of InvestmentOne Financial Services Limited, KeyStage Educational Services Limited, Chadstone Training Institute Limited, and Teach For Nigeria. She also chairs the Children's Developmental Centre, a specialist school supporting children with disabilities, and serves on the Advisory Board of The Learning Innovation Academy.

Deeply committed to community development and inclusive leadership, she is recognised as a transformative leader in her hometown of Iyin Ekiti, where she holds the prestigious traditional title of YeyeOba of Iyin Ekiti Kingdom, the highest honour bestowed on a woman in the kingdom. She is also Patron of several developmental and grassroots organisations dedicated to community advancement.

Mrs. Chukwumah holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Kingston University, Surrey, England, and a Master's degree in Economic and Social Studies from the University of Wales, Cardiff. She has completed executive education programmes at leading global institutions, including Lagos Business School, IESE Business School, IMD, Cornell University, and IE Business School.

A Fellow-level registered professional with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRC), and an active member of the Institute of Directors (IoD), WIMBIZ, and WIMBOARD, Mrs. Chukwumah is widely recognised for her visionary leadership, unwavering commitment to educational excellence, and passion for developing people and institutions that create lasting impact.

Dr. Ademola Ayodeji Odeyemi is a distinguished banking executive, strategist and corporate leader with over three decades of experience in banking, financial management, corporate strategy, governance and international banking. Renowned for his strategic vision, disciplined execution and commitment to excellence, he has built an exceptional career driving business transformation, institutional growth and sustainable value creation across Africa's financial services industry.

As the founding Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Optimus Bank, Dr. Odeyemi is leading the Bank's evolution into one of Nigeria's fastest-growing technology-driven financial institutions. Under his leadership, the Bank continues to strengthen its market presence through innovation, digital transformation, customer-centric solutions and a culture of operational excellence. Prior to joining Optimus Bank, Dr. Odeyemi served as Executive Director at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (now Guaranty Trust Holding Company), where he held several strategic leadership roles and played a key role in the Bank's financial strategy, corporate planning, performance management and international expansion. He provided executive oversight for GTBank's subsidiaries across Africa and the United Kingdom and contributed significantly to the execution of the Bank's pan-African growth strategy.

His career also spans senior leadership roles at FCMB Group and Arthur Andersen (now KPMG Professional Services), where he developed extensive expertise in corporate finance, financial control, assets management, stock brokering, business strategy and organizational transformation. Over the years, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to build high-performing teams, strengthen governance frameworks and deliver sustainable business growth.

Dr. Odeyemi has served on the Boards of several financial institutions, including GTBank's subsidiaries in Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and the United Kingdom, providing strategic direction and governance oversight. He has also completed executive education programmes at Harvard Business School, Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, Cambridge Judge Business School, IMD Lausanne and the Melbourne Institute of Finance, further strengthening his expertise in leadership, innovation and global financial services.

A First-Class graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, Dr. Odeyemi is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN) and the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS). Widely respected for his integrity, strategic thinking and people-centered leadership, Dr. Odeyemi continues to champion innovation, financial inclusion and sustainable growth, creating long-term value for customers, shareholders, employees and the communities the Bank serves.

Kathryn McLay previously served as President and CEO of Walmart International and Sam's Club. She led a team of 500,000 associates serving 80 million customers weekly across 18 countries. Under her leadership, Sam's Club revenues grew 43% to $84 billion in fiscal year 2023. She also held executive leadership roles overseeing finance, strategy, supply chain, and neighborhood markets at Walmart. She has a background in accounting, finance, and organizational psychology.

Prince Abimbola Olashore is an Engineering graduate of the University of Hull, U.K., with a Master's degree in Business Administration from IESE Business School, Barcelona, Spain.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, the Chartered Institute of Taxation, the Chartered Institute of Directors, the Chartered Institute of Bankers, and the Association of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers, among others.

A seasoned investment banker, he has over the years acquired in-depth knowledge and vast experience in the capital markets as well as financial advisory services in the public and private sectors.

Prince Olashore has served as Managing Director of Lead Bank Plc, Executive Director of Ecobank Nigeria Plc, and Managing Director of LeadCapital Plc. He has held many board positions, among them Director of Kakawa Discount House Limited, Financial Institutions Training Centre (FITC), Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc, West African Bankers Association, Crusader Sterling Pensions Limited, UNICO CPFA and the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation.

He is currently President of the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Deputy President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and a Council Member of the Chartered Institute of Directors. He sits on the boards of Reckitt Nigeria, LeadCapital Plc Group and Pearl Awards, and consults as CEO of Lead Advisory Partners Limited.

Dr. Adora Ikwuemesi is a distinguished human resources management expert, speaker, author, coach, and trusted advisor. She is the Founder and Director of Kendor Consulting, a leading HR consulting firm specialising in innovative learning and organisational development solutions.

With a passion for developing people and organisations, Adora has built a reputation as a thought leader in HR, leadership, coaching, and workplace transformation. Her work consistently inspires individuals and organisations to unlock their potential and achieve sustainable growth.

Adora holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Teesside University, UK, as well as master's degrees from Cranfield University and the University of Reading. She is a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR), a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), UK, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Nigeria, and a certified life coach.

Her career spans IT, telecommunications, and consulting, where she has advised leadership teams, led HR transformation projects (including World Bank–funded initiatives), and delivered impactful leadership and employee development programmes.

A recognised thought leader, Adora is the author of the award-winning book Change Your Career and the founder of the HR Bootcamp Conference, established in 2009 to explore new paradigms in people management. She also founded HR Nigeria, a vibrant online community advancing the HR profession nationwide.

Adora's philosophy, that work is an expression of purpose, drives her commitment to helping people and organisations thrive. Her contributions continue to shape the future of work and human capital development across Africa and beyond.

F.CIoD, FCIPMN, F.CGPN, CPHR

Adebimpe Ayo-Elias is a seasoned Human Resources and Business Transformation Executive with over 35 years of experience spanning telecommunications, financial services, fintech, and management consulting. She currently serves as Director, Human Resources & Administration at Airtel Nigeria, Airtel Africa's largest operating market, where she leads the people and culture agenda for a workforce of approximately 14,000 employees and non-employees.

A trusted advisor to executive leadership, Adebimpe has built a distinguished career at the intersection of people strategy, organizational transformation, corporate governance, and business performance. Her expertise spans talent management, leadership development, succession planning, workforce strategy, organizational effectiveness, diversity and inclusion, and large-scale change management.

Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles across leading organizations including Airtel Nigeria, Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, MTN Nigeria, SystemSpecs, and Human Edge Consulting. She has successfully led several transformation initiatives, including post-merger organizational integration, culture transformation, workforce restructuring, leadership development, and the establishment of high-performing work environments.

At Airtel Nigeria, she championed the launch of the Airtel Women's Network, an initiative recognized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for advancing female leadership and inclusion. She also led the establishment of the Airtel Academy in Nigeria, strengthening organizational capability development and continuous learning.

Adebimpe holds a Master's degree in International Human Resource Management from Cranfield University, United Kingdom, and is an accredited Hay Job Evaluator. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Directors (F.CIoD), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (FCIPMN), Fellow of the Association of Corporate Governance Professionals of Nigeria (F.CGPN) and a Chartered Professional in Human Resources (CPHR Canada).

She is widely recognized for her ability to help organizations navigate change, future-proof their workforce, and build agile, high-performing cultures capable of delivering sustainable business success.