Arunma Oteh: The Woman Who Sat at the World Bank’s Top Table
By Blossom Ukoha On 23 January 2025, Arunma Oteh stood at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, to launch All Hands on Deck, the book she wrote about how world-class capital markets can help nations, companies and individuals create lasting prosperity. The occasion was part of a two-day celebration of her 60th birthday, which she marked on 24 January. It was a fitting setting for a woman whose career has been defined by capital, institutions and economic development. From Nigeria’s financial markets to the African Development Bank, from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the World Bank Treasury, Oteh has spent decades operating at some of the most consequential levels of African and international finance. Yet her journey to those rooms began without a powerful title. It began with a young Nigerian woman choosing computer science at a time when relatively few women were entering the field and developing the…
8 Cash-Flow Mistakes That Can Kill a Woman-Owned Business in Year One
“Never take your eyes off the cash flow because it’s the lifeblood of business.” — Sir Richard Branson What happens when a woman builds…
The Burnout Trap: Female Leaders Are Learning That Slowing Down Is a Leadership Strength
By Janet Coin “What is expected of leaders is judgment, not sheer stamina.” — Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO of Thrive Global For years,…
Celebrating the Extraordinary Life of Dolly Parton: 8 Things to Know About the Woman Behind the Legend
By Blossom Ukoha What happens when a girl born into poverty refuses to let her circumstances define the size of her dreams? For Dolly…
Europe’s Trade Reset: What It Means for Women in Business
By Blossom Ukoha For a woman running a small business in Europe, a change in trade policy can begin with something deceptively simple: an…
Linda Quaynor Rises to UBA Ghana’s Board Chair in Historic First
By Blossom Ukoha There is a particular moment in a career when experience stops being measured by the number of positions held and begins…
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang: The Woman Who Made the Ticket Twice
By Blossom Ukoha What does it take for a woman to earn a place on a presidential ticket once and then be trusted with…
From Gibeon to State House: Lucia Witbooi’s Remarkable Journey
By Blossom Ukoha “Leadership does not always begin in a boardroom, parliament or presidential office. Sometimes, it begins in a classroom.” For Lucia Witbooi,…
Why 7,000 Steps May Matter More Than 10,000: What New Research Says
Janet Coin At 8:30 on a Tuesday evening, a busy professional glanced at her fitness tracker and sighed. 6,247 steps. She had spent the…
Jollof, Biryani, Feijoada: One Global Rice Dish, Three Regional Shortcuts
Blossom Ukoha Imagine three women, miles apart, preparing dinner after a long day. In Lagos, one stirs a deeply seasoned tomato base before folding…
Love in the Age of Ambition: Can a Relationship Survive Two Big Careers?
Blossom Ukoha What happens when two people fall in love, but neither is willing to make their career the smaller dream? “The more you…
The Rise of Women in Finance: 9 Lessons from the United Kingdom
By Blossom Ukoha For decades, women have been an important part of the financial services workforce, yet their presence has not always translated into…
