Director, Marketing and Organisational Communications
Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan
Omobolanle has over 20 years’ experience in the field of sustainability and communications spanning various industries including manufacturing, media, and the financial sector. She applies her expertise to handling sustainability related matters, monitoring emerging trends, communicating and educating others on the importance of sustainability.
She has pioneered many notable sustainability focused initiatives, placing Nigeria and the financial sector on the global map. These initiatives include initiating and leading the development of the Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles (NSBP), and being the only West African on a global team that recently developed the Global Principles for Responsible Banking. In 2020, as Head of Sustainability at Access Bank, Omobolanle led the Bank to become the first Sustainability-Certified Commercial Bank in Africa under the Sustainability Standards Certification Initiative (SSCI) championed by the European Organization for Sustainable Development.
A multiple award winner, Omobolanle has received several professional awards including the 2020 Award for Outstanding Female Sustainability Professional of the Year by WIMCA, 2020 Top 50 Women in Marketing & Communications, the 2019 Shenomics Award, the prestigious CEO Employee of the Year 2018 award at Access Bank Plc, and the Most Outstanding Sustainability Practitioner in Africa Award (2017 and 2018) by the Sustainability, Enterprise and Responsibility Awards (SERAs).
Omobolanle has continuously provided support in establishing partnerships with local and international organizations/networks to fund high impact projects. These projects are aimed at accelerating the impact of interventions focused on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. These projects have reached millions of people and helped them to lead healthy, productive, and sustainable lives.
Her career journey and growth trajectory emanates from her passion for making positive impact while working. This is very important to her and is the reason why she serves on the boards of various not-for-profit organizations. She enjoys lending her skills, talent and resources to initiatives that contribute to sustainable development. Organizations such as Corporate Alliance on Malaria in Africa, United Nations Global Compact Local Network Nigeria, the OVL Foundation, and Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria, are just a few examples of the organisations that Omobolanle serves on their Boards.
Omobolanle is also an executive member of the Access Women Network (AWN), and an advocate for youth and women empowerment. She is extremely passionate in this regard, lending a hand and pioneering initiatives that support women in a bid to accelerate gender-related goals and objectives. She mentors a wide range of young female and is the Chair of Women in Development and Sustainability, a not-for-profit organisation which primarily utilizes mentorship and customized education to support the development of women whilst maximizing their potentials.
Omobolanle holds a B.Sc in Mass Communications and M.Sc in Sociology, both from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. She also holds a Chartered Banker MBA from Prifysgol Bangor University, UK. She is currently undergoing a PGD in Digital Business from MIT Sloan and Columbia Business School.
Additionally, she has received management and leadership trainings at leading institutions such as Wharton Business School, London Business School, and University of Edinburgh.
Omobolanle is a Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, UK (ICRS), Fellow of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria (NIMN), Member of the International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP), International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Chartered Institute of Bankers, Scotland (CIOBS), Associate of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), and Chartered Institute of Bankers, Nigeria (CIBN).