Sola David-Borha, CEO, Standard Bank Group

By
herstorywomen

October 16, 2019

Sola David-Borha receiving the Business Woman of the Year Award, for Africa 2016

Sola David-Borha is the Chief Executive Officer (Africa Regions) of the Standard Bank Group. Prior to this, she was the Chief Executive Officer, Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. – a full-service financial services group with holdings in Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, Pension and Non-Pension Asset Management and Stockbroking. She also currently serves as the Vice-Chairman of the board of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG).

She started out her banking career at the NAL Merchant Bank (now known as Sterling Bank), where she worked in the Credit and Marketing Department from 1984 to 1989, before joining Investment Banking and Trust Company (IBTC), which later merged with two commercial banks to become IBTC Chartered. When the Standard Bank Group acquired IBTC in 2007, she was appointed to serve as Deputy Chief Executive of the Bank and Head of IB Coverage Africa, and she rose to become CEO of Stanbic IBTC Bank in 2011 and CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. in 2012.

Her outstanding achievements in these executive roles earned her the ‘Business Woman of the Year’ award for the West Africa Region, and the ‘Business Woman of the Year for Africa’, both from the All Africa Business Leaders Awards in 2016. Shortly after receiving these awards, she resigned from her position as CEO of Stanbic IBTC Holdings Plc. to assume her current position. She leads the Stanbic Group’s African financial operations, executing duties that range from governance to risk control and expansion.

Sola holds a first degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and an MBA from the Manchester Business School. She also attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and the Global CEO Program jointly offered by Wharton (US), IESE (Spain) and CEIBS (Shanghai), all of which equipped her with the executive skills required to excel in her roles.

Sola is the Chairman, Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Ltd. She also serves on the Board of various firms including Coca-Cola, CRC Credit Bureau Ltd., Fate Foundation, and the University of Ibadan Business School, among others.

Asked about the challenges of pursuing a successful banking career as a woman, she said; “Every career has its challenges. The important thing is not allowing those challenges to distract you; whether it’s your gender, your race, or your religion, you must remain focused on how you can improve your skills and your knowledge base. Remain professional no matter what circumstances you find yourself, and conduct yourself with integrity. Invariably, the promotions will come.”

Her advice to young women professionals: “You’ve got to conduct yourself in a way that is above board, even if this is to your own cost. You can’t control all the variables, so don’t worry about the things you can’t control, but the variables that you can control, and your own behaviour, stay focused on these. The others will sort themselves out.”

Sola David-Borha is an embodiment of feminine grit and determination, manifested in creativity and hard work that have seen her to the top of her career. She is the Herstory Woman of the Week.

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