“If You are Given an Opportunity, Leverage it” -Ibukun Omololu
My name is Ibukun Omololu. I was born in Benue state, Nigeria. I spent my early childhood living and traveling extensively across various states in Nigeria due to my father’s career as a Civil servant, which required frequent relocation.
This experience provided me with the opportunity to interact with individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, thereby enhancing my interpersonal skills. The exposure I gained has been instrumental in my career development and has proven invaluable in relating with women in the Women Techsters Fellowship program.
As a woman who has faced stereotypes in her career, I do not let this bother me even though It became more pronounced when I began to climb up the ladder of success. But I have always believed that results would always speak for one regardless of discrimination, your results will show if you work hard.
I share this message in my gender classes and speaking engagements, encouraging women and girls to persevere and seize opportunities as they come, even when the odds seem to work against them. I also urge women in leadership positions to strive for excellence and pave the way for others. A woman leader’s excellence would open doors for other women so If you are given an opportunity as a woman, leverage it.
My career journey in Banking was funny as I initially lacked interest in Banking, but thanks to a recommendation from a respected friend, I went for the interview, and I aced it.
My banking background is pretty robust and began at a branch office, where I gained experience in customer service and more branch experience shadowing the Head of operations. Later, I was selected for a competitive senior management program that relocated me to the Head Office where I worked with 10 other team members. The program involved an intensive combination of work and training, and frequent rotations through critical areas of the bank, culminating in the opportunity to lead the Women’s banking business of the Bank.
Subsequently, I transitioned into tech which is another exciting experience. While leading and managing the Women’s banking proposition, it involved a lot of Product Management activities but more from the sales and marketing perspective, and because of the limited use of data in my team, (at the time, Banks were not heavily reliant on data as they do today) I recognized the necessity of acquiring further technical expertise in this field.
I’ve been fascinated by Product Management since then and later went on to become the Chief Operating Officer at a FinTech Company. Then I decided to join the Women Techsters Fellowship to acquire technical certification and more expertise in Product Management.
Balancing the Women Techsters Fellowship program, marriage, motherhood, and a career has been a significant challenge. Still, I have always believed that women have coexisting identities. Today, you are a wife; tomorrow, you are a mother… It is not an easy experience, and sincerely, I’ve wanted to give up so many times, but I have a great support system comprising my family, especially my husband and my staff who won’t let me give up.
My facilitator and study mates provided valuable support and encouragement, preventing me from dropping out during the intense Women Techsters Fellowship training.The training was indeed intense but good.
The knowledge gained from the Fellowship will be useful for me as a person and for personal projects. I organize a financial literacy webinar called “Women of Wealth,” I plan to establish a women-focused Financial Education platform for learning, information sharing, and community building particularly for women with my upgraded skills and expertise.
Furthermore, I have formed collaborative partnerships within the Fellowship that will provide me with the necessary resources, expertise, and knowledge to develop this platform.
My biggest career mistake was neglecting to promote myself effectively. Instead of actively showcasing my skills and accomplishments, I relied on the assumption that others would take notice of my work in my little corner. In retrospect, I could have improved my visibility through targeted storytelling on social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, networking, and pursuing mentorship opportunities.
I am now more assertive and open to healthy competition, recognizing that there is ample opportunity for everyone to succeed. While I am continually learning and evolving, I remain excited for what the future holds.
