January - March 2017 •
The Lion King
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2 Business Office and I have been
there for 2 years; prior to that I was the
Branch Manager of University College
Hospital Business Office, Ibadan for 22
months.
During this time have you witnessed
any barriers to your career progression
as a woman?
YES, I have witnessed many challenges
that ordinarily would engender a
career change but I have been able
to overcome them and that is why I am
still in the industry. The challenges vary
from building a happy home, being
successful on the job and building
good relationships with my customers
which I consider my assets.
Home front and career are two
independent projects that are
interrelated because of the singular
factor, i.e. “the person” managing
both. I have enjoyed God’s grace in
getting the required ability to manage
both successfully.
What is the most difficult situation you
ever faced as a career woman?
The most difficult situation was when
I relocated to Lagos in March 2015
while my family was in Ibadan. It was
like a mirage when I finally decided to
work in Lagos; although, I never lived
nor worked there. The attraction was
about two transactions that turned
around my former BO in Ibadan which
I got from Lagos and my supervisor saw
a quality which was latent in the quiet
town of Ibadan. I saw the inherent
opportunities that lies in working in
Lagos and I was prepared to give it
a try and stop being celebrated as a
star in Ibadan (local champion).
I shuttled between Lagos and Ibadan
for 19 months before my family joined
me in Lagos. I was faced with the
hurdle of being a responsible mother
to my children, a loving wife to my
husband (even in my absence) and
at the same time to turn around a
loss making BO with less than a Billion
balance sheet. It was indeed a rough
journey and a challenging situation
plying the deadly Lagos-Ibadan
expressway on weekly basis but I
never lost focus and the reason for my
relocation.
Looking back, I am very glad that my
Business Office makes an average of
N40m contribution monthly from a loss
position with a balance sheet size of
N5bn from less than a Billion. My family
has also relocated to Lagos, we are all
together now.
Victoria Ejeckam
Branch Manager
What do you do at UBA and how long
have you been at the bank?
My name is Victoria Ejeckam, a LIONESS
and Branch Manager at 97-105 Broad
Street Lagos. I have been in the bank
for the past 15 years, precisely since
July 2001.
What is the true core of a lioness in
your opinion?
A lioness is BOLD, Fearless and does not
see challenges but, rather opportunity
in every situation. A lioness is the lead
hunter for her pride and together
they accomplish their dexterity with
precision. Each lioness develops
precise ability for her role in the
technique of hunting to achieve the
prides Goal. I, being a Chief Hunter
like the lioness in her pride have the
prowess to lead from the front and
my quest is to uncover and nurture
upcoming Lionesses to believe in their
prowess and innate abilities. “I might
not know or do everything, but what I
know, I will do very well”
There are obviously challenges to
being a working woman one of which
includes managing work and children.
How have you dealt with this?
I am blessed with a lovely family and a
very good job that I love. I got married
early enough and my simple secret
was to adequately space and plan
the kids in a way that the older ones
can effectively mentor and guide
their younger siblings. This gives me
more time to focus on job demands
and other responsibilities. When I am
home, they have my full attention
and I closely monitor them. Same
way, I oversee my work colleagues,
who are set up in teams to learn
and achieve more collectively. With
both important parts of my life set
up to function, I only look forward to
enjoying my interactions.
Tell me about the assets /advantages
to being a woman and how has that
helped you?
Firstly, as a woman and a mother, I
naturally show empathy towards all
people I come across. This quality has
helped me in building a good network
of people that have supported my
career. Furthermore, as a woman and
working in the financial sector, it is a
tough terrain that requires extra hard
work for women and that womanly
instinct of being strong-willed has
always come to play for me. This has
kept me focused on my goals with
a lot of dedication to work, I have
always achieved expectations.
Would you come back to the world as
a woman?
Oh yes, I would not change a thing, I
will come back as a woman!!!
Olubukola Abitoye
Branch Manager
What is your role at UBA and how long
have you been there?
I am the Branch Manager of Allen
•
Victoria Ejeckam
•
Olubukola Abitoye
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