The WIMBIZ 16th Annual Conference, which is WIMBIZ’s flagship event, was held in November 2017 in Nigeria. This event brings together over 1000 women to discuss a broad range of issues centered on a cutting edge theme that is topical and relevant to women in business, corporate, public and development sectors.

There were several days of keynote speakers, panels and awards in various categories.

zaccheaus

The Moderator for one of the panels, SME Funding:  From Illusion to Reality, was IWEC Past Awardeee, Yewande Zaccheaus, CEO of Eventful Limited. Yewande Zaccheaus served as Legal Officer of the Nigerian-American Merchant Bank. Mrs. Zaccheaus later had a brief stint in private practice prior to joining Ecobank Nigeria Plc in 1989 as the Pioneer Company Secretary and Legal Adviser. She was at one time the head of the Corporate Affairs unit of Ecobank Nigeria Plc and was at the time of her resignation in 2002 the head of it’s private banking unit to function as one of Zacchi & Krome executive directors. Mrs. Zaccheaus is one of the Founding Director for Zacchi & Krome Limited. She is a member of the working committee of an NGO, Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ), an organisation established with the objective of acting as a catalyst to elevate the profile of women in management and business. Mrs. Zaccheaus is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School having undertaken the Advanced Management Programme (AMP14) in 2002. Mrs. Zaccheaus graduated with an LLB (Hons) in Law from the University of Lagos and an LLM, masters of Law from the Cambridge University in England.

stellaokoli

Mrs. Stella Okoli, CEO Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries Limited and IWEC Past Awardee in 2012, won the WIMBIZ Fa=emale Achiever Awards which was created to recognize trail blazing women who have mad an impact across their various fields.  Dr. Okoli has a B. Pharm (Hons.) degree from Bradford University (1969), M.Sc. Biopharmaceutics, University of London – Chelsea College (1971), and attended Executive Management programs of the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA, for owner-managers 1997-1999. She also attended the Chief Executive Management program of the Lagos Business School as well as IESE Barcelona.
She has attended numerous strategic management courses both in Nigeria and overseas. Has over 27 years of experience as a practicing/manufacturing pharmacist.
She has held several professional leadership positions which include Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Member, Economic Summit of Nigeria, and Member, Health Matters Advisory Board of Nigeria.

She has received various national and international recognitions, which include Member of the Order of the Niger (MON), Fellow Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria, Outstanding Service Award, Rotary International 21000, and ECOWAS International Gold Award. She is committed to local manufacturing of pharmaceuticals with her able team of highly trained, competent and motivated managers and staffs. She recently bagged the International Women Entrepreneurial Challenge, IWEC Award.

She mentors other local manufacturers and encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to invest in the pharmaceutical industry first, as her contribution to building a healthy nation and second, in pursuit of Nigeria’s quest for self sufficiency.

Congratulations, Ladies, on your contributions and recognition.