OLATOWUN CANDIDE-JOHNSON
Olatowun Candide-Johnson is a lawyer with thirty+ years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations. During the course of her career, she worked in Law Practice, Shipping, & Oil and Gas. Whilst working with the Total Group, she worked in different divisions including three years at the New Business (Affaires Nouvelles) Division in the Paris HQ. Before taking early retirement, she held the roles of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division (incorporating Legal, Audit, Insurance and Anti-Corruption Compliance) and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria. In 2016, she obtained a Global Executive MBA awarded by LSE, NYU Stern and HEC (Paris), known as the TRIUM Global Executive MBA.After many years in corporate life, she turned her sights to an entrepreneurial pursuit and challenge to open an exclusive space in Lagos to help bridge the “business connections” gap experienced by leading Women in Nigeria. The response to this opportunity is “GAIA Women Club” (GAIA – meaning “Mother Earth”), a Members only Business and Social Club for Women (www.gaiawomenclub.com). GAIA is based in Victoria Island. Olatowun is Chairman of African Delivery Technologies (ADT), parent company of Kwik.delivery, a French start up which aims to become the first platform for last-mile delivery in urban areas in Nigeria. She is also a Founder Parent of Lagos Preparatory School, Ikoyi, one of Africa’s leading British curriculum preparatory schools in Lagos; Member of the board of directors of the Nigerian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce; “Expert” – African Women on Board (AWB); Member of the Committee on Tourism & Hospitality of the Institute of Directors (IOD). She is also an angel investor and a member of Rising Tide Africa – a network of female business angels investing in entrepreneurs across the African continent.Olatowun is Wines & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certified, and Dame Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne (2017). She loves all forms of the Arts, Culture, food & wine, Pilates, yoga, books, and travelling to interesting places etc.
Mena Imasekha
Mena Imasekha is the Business Development & Operations Manager of GAIA AFRICA. She is passionate about an operational strategy to optimize company efficiency and growth, whilst utilizing company resources to achieve company objectives. With over 7 years of experience in strategy, Mena believes in growth through analytical processes, product and service development, research, consumer feedback, planning, and policy. Mena is a graduate of Imperial College London and also sits on the board of Women Impacting Nigeria a female-led, not-for-profit organization dedicated to women’s human rights, gender equality, and empowerment of women.
Nwamaka Joy Ihieme
Nwamaka Joy Ihieme is the Human Resources Manager at Voltaire Lifestyle Services Limited (owners of GAIA AFRICA Club and Gaby Lagos), where she has served since February 2024. With over a decade of experience in Human Resources, People Management and Administration, she has held strategic roles across various industries, including Advertising, Oil & Gas/Marine, Healthcare, Education, and Hospitality. Her expertise lies in talent management, organisational development, employee relations, and process optimisation. Throughout her career, Nwamaka has led HR teams to strengthen key processes such as talent acquisition, performance management, and employee engagement, resulting in enhanced staff productivity and operational efficiency. Nwamaka holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Diplomacy from the University of Benin. She is a certified Human Resources Professional and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (MCIPM). Also, she is a Member of the Association of Elite Human Resources Professionals (AEHRP). Beyond her professional pursuits, Nwamaka enjoys photography, music, fashion and styling, travelling, driving, and conducting research. She is passionate about fostering a culture of lifelong learning, open communication and employee development. She firmly believes that attracting, retaining, and developing top talent is key to driving organisational success and fostering a thriving work environment.
Alex Odiwe
Alexander Uche Odiwe, FMVA, is a highly skilled and dedicated Senior Accountant at Voltaire Lifestyle Services Limited. With a proven track record in financial management and analysis, Alexander brings precision, insight, and strategic thinking to his role. His expertise is underscored by his FMVA (Financial Modeling and Valuation Analyst) certification, reflecting his strong analytical and technical acumen in the financial space. Known for his unwavering integrity, sincerity, and honesty, Alexander embodies a commitment to delivering the best outcomes for his organization. His dedication to excellence ensures that his contributions consistently drive efficiency, transparency, and value in every financial operation he oversees. Outside of his professional life, Alexander is a devoted family man, happily married and the proud father of three children. He finds balance and purpose in both his career and personal life, continually striving to set a positive example through his work ethic, reliability, and values-driven approach to life.
OLATOWUN CANDIDE-JOHNSON
Olatowun Candide-Johnson is a lawyer with thirty+ years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations. During the course of her career, she worked in Law Practice, Shipping, & Oil and Gas. Whilst working with the Total Group, she worked in different divisions including three years at the New Business (Affaires Nouvelles) Division in the Paris HQ. Before taking early retirement, she held the roles of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division (incorporating Legal, Audit, Insurance and Anti-Corruption Compliance) and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria. In 2016, she obtained a Global Executive MBA awarded by LSE, NYU Stern and HEC (Paris), known as the TRIUM Global Executive MBA.After many years in corporate life, she turned her sights to an entrepreneurial pursuit and challenge to open an exclusive space in Lagos to help bridge the “business connections” gap experienced by leading Women in Nigeria. The response to this opportunity is “GAIA Women Club” (GAIA – meaning “Mother Earth”), a Members only Business and Social Club for Women (www.gaiawomenclub.com). GAIA is based in Victoria Island. Olatowun is Chairman of African Delivery Technologies (ADT), parent company of Kwik.delivery, a French start up which aims to become the first platform for last-mile delivery in urban areas in Nigeria. She is also a Founder Parent of Lagos Preparatory School, Ikoyi, one of Africa’s leading British curriculum preparatory schools in Lagos; Member of the board of directors of the Nigerian-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce; “Expert” – African Women on Board (AWB); Member of the Committee on Tourism & Hospitality of the Institute of Directors (IOD). She is also an angel investor and a member of Rising Tide Africa – a network of female business angels investing in entrepreneurs across the African continent.Olatowun is Wines & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certified, and Dame Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne (2017). She loves all forms of the Arts, Culture, food & wine, Pilates, yoga, books, and travelling to interesting places etc.
Mena Imasekha
Mena Imasekha is the General Manager of GAIA AFRICA. She is passionate about an operational strategy to optimize company efficiency and growth, whilst utilizing company resources to achieve company objectives. With over 7 years of experience in strategy, Mena believes in growth through analytical processes, product and service development, research, consumer feedback, planning, and policy. Mena is a graduate of Imperial College London and also sits on the board of Women Impacting Nigeria a female-led, not-for-profit organization dedicated to women’s human rights, gender equality, and empowerment of women.
DOROTHY OOKO
Dorothy Ooko is the Head of Communications and Public Affairs for Africa at Google. With years of leadership experience at the nexus of technology, innovation and communications, keen insight into the world of digital marketing and experience working throughout Africa, Dorothy understands what it takes for companies on the continent to leverage digital media to meet strategic business objectives and connect with the contemporary African consumer. Prior to joining the world of business, Dorothy spent over 15 years in academia teaching French at Kenyatta University and the United States International University-Africa. Today, Dorothy is channeling her passion for teaching towards training professionals. As a qualified Search Inside Yourself (SIY) facilitator, she empowers individuals to apply the principle of mindfulness in their lives; enabling them to grow in emotional intelligence, enhanced performance, and leadership. She currently teaches this popular program to colleagues at Google. In the spirit of nurturing youth, Dorothy also mentors girls and young women in high schools and universities and serves as a board member on the board of Alliance Française Nairobi and AkiraChix — an association that inspires and develops women in technology through networking, training and mentoring. At the start of Covid19, she started No Head Podcast about living life in the present moment and navigating life. She speaks English, French, Spanish, Dholuo, Swahili and understands Portuguese. Whenever she can squeeze in some time to herself, Dorothy can be found whipping up something in the kitchen, traveling, working out, dancing salsa or with her nose deeply buried in a book.
YEMI KERI
Yemi Keri is one of the foremost Women in Technology in Nigeria with experience in both the Public and Private sectors. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Heckerbella Limited, a Technology Business Transformation company, and also a Partner at Holmen Consulting, an Information Technology Consulting firm. She is responsible for the implementation of the Biometric Identification, Time & Attendance, and Payroll Automation System (BIPATAS) for over 80,000 Delta State paid Staff and Pensioners as well as the automation of the processes of Ekiti State Board of Internal Revenue’s Property enumeration and Land Use Charge Project. She is managing the development of a subscription-based Digital Operations Platform. This is the intellectual property of Heckerbella and an indigenous solution. She is co-founder of iAspire Data Science Fellowship Program (an iDAF.ng) training and preparing Nigerian bright minds to use Artificial Intelligence and advanced machine and deep learning concepts to tackle business and social problems. Prior to this Yemi was the General Manager for Information Technology and Enterprise Systems for NatCom Development and Investment Company Limited. Preceding this, she was the pioneer Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Edo State Directorate of Information Communications & Technology Agency (ICTA). Before this, Yemi was the first female Regional Manager for West Africa responsible for establishing the Anglo-phone West Africa Regional Office in Nigeria with Sales, Field Services and Training operations. Yemi has over twenty-three years of work experience, seventeen of this in the Information Technology and Telecommunications industries; twelve of which has been at the highest management levels. She is multidisciplinary graduate of Accounting (University of Maiduguri), and Masters in Information Technology & Project Management from the American InterContinental University, Illinois, Strategic Decision Making for Management from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an alumnus of the Lagos Business School/IESE Business School, Barcelona and China European International Business School. Yemi is a Board member of the First City Monument Bank Ltd (FCMB), Investment One financial Services, the Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce, Beyond Credit Limited and Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre. She is also a member of the Technical Committee of NASSBAR of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, an External Faculty Member at the Fintech Institute and on the Advisory Board of Ingressive LLC, GAIA Women Club, The Assembly Hub, SabiHub and several other organizations. Yemi Keri is the co-founder of Rising Tide Africa, a women’s movement initiated with a vision to increase women’s participation in angel investing as an asset class and promote education, cross-border investing and investor-mentoring across Africa. She is also a Director of the Lagos Angel Network and serves as a mentor to various digitally and technology-enabled start-ups. Yemi is an Expert in Residence (EIR) at the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of the Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos. Yemi received the Centenary award for the Most Outstanding Public Sector CIO in Nigeria in 2014.
DANIEL OPARISON
Daniel Oparison is a brand and business Growth Strategist with key focus areas in Strategic Leadership, Operations & Culture, Value Creation & Value Chain Innovation. Daniel leverages over a decade of experience in Advertising, Digital Strategy, Brand management, and Human-centered, Consumer Experience design to establish sustainable growth for businesses. Daniel is currently the Head of Growth at Paga – Brand Strategy, Integrated Marketing, Consumer sales, Business Intelligence, and Consumer Experience.(Paga is an emerging markets mobile money and payments company in Nigeria, Ethiopia and launching in Mexico soon.) Concurrently, he serves as the Executive Director of Dmastermind; a Growth Strategy Design Collective he founded in 2008, which uses human-centered design to craft winning brand and business strategy for truly sustainable and impactful growth; anchored on Brand & Communications, Digital Transformation, Operations & Consumer Experience and Integrated Marketing strategy. Daniel is an enabler; a creative enthusiast with a passion for enabling individuals and business in Africa. He is an investor, board member and advisor to 8 African businesses, which span the consumer technology, renewable energy, insurance and lifestyle industries.
OLUMAYOKUN (MAYO) AJIBADE
Olumayokun (Mayo) Ajibade is the Managing Partner, DULCIS AFRICA Advisory, a results-orientated business executive and driven leader with a strong operating knowledge of Africa’s leading financial markets. Mayo leverages his expertise in building, managing and motivating high performing teams and at the same time, fostering strong working relationships with broad range of stakeholders to assist corporates and institutions navigate the complexities of African markets. He is an astute thinker with extensive experience working in diverse cultures and operating across multiple geographies. An innovative strategist capable of realising visions and achieving organisational objectives whilst understanding cultural undertones as well as market dynamics.
