Standard Chartered Bank MD, Bola Adesola, Appointed as Vice-Chair of UN Global Compact

By Abimbola  Akosile
 

The United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres has appointed Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Ms. Bola Adesola to serve as Vice-Chair of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

Adesola, according to a release issued yesterday at the UN headquarters in New York and made available by the United Nations Information Centre, Lagos, is to serve as Vice Chair alongside the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, Mr. Paul Polman of the Netherlands.

According to the release, “The Secretary-General is pleased to confirm that Bola Adesola of Nigeria, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Nigeria, and Paul Polman of the Netherlands, Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, will serve as the two Vice-Chairs of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact, the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative.

“Ms. Adesola and Mr. Polman succeed out-going United Nations Global Compact Board Vice-Chair, Sir Mark Moody-Stuart, former Chairman of Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies and of Anglo American plc. The Secretary-General extends his great appreciation to Sir Mark for serving in the position for the past ten years and shepherding the United Nations Global Compact into a new era.

“Both Ms. Adesola and Mr. Polman have served on the Board of the United Nations Global Compact previously, and will bring to the position a wealth of experience in the private sector, in the corporate sustainability space and specifically with the United Nations Global Compact itself”, the release stated.

Adesola has served as CEO and Managing Director of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd since 2011. She has over 25 years of banking experience, including at First Bank of Nigeria and at Citibank. She also holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School, as well as a law degree from the University of Buckingham.

Polman has served as Chief Executive Officer of Unilever since 2009. Prior to joining Unilever, he worked at Nestlé S.A., and at Proctor and Gamble, where he spent 26 years. 

He holds degrees from the University of Groningen and from the University of Cincinnati.

“As Chair of the Board of the United Nations Global Compact, the Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with Ms. Adesola and Mr. Polman, along with United Nations Global Compact Executive Director, Lise Kingo, as they lead the United Nations Global Compact, the entry point for business within the broader United Nations system”, the release added.