Bukola Smith the Game-changer

Twenty-twenty-one is a year of transformative appointments and a tireless plan to make significant advancements everywhere. The situation in Nigeria is not different, and neither are the folks behind the banks. Thus, the appointment of the Executive Director of the Business Development department of First City Monument Bank Limited (FCMB), Bukola Smith, into the position of MD/CEO of First Securities Discount House Limited (FSDH) is not without antecedence. To ignore one so brilliant, capable and diligent to a fault, the Executive Board of FSDH would have to be blind or backward. Fortunately, they are neither, and so Smith has reached the pinnacle within the Lagos-based bank.

Brilliance and ability are the main descriptions that come to mind at the mention of Bukola Smith’s name. As FSDH MD/CEO, the prospects of the bank have just increased by many folds. This is expected since Smith has proved herself capable of succeeding the former MD/CEO, Hamda Ambah, and possibly surpassing her.

Bukola Smith has a prodigious profile. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, an MBA from Manchester Business School, the University of Manchester, and several business certifications. These have contributed to how she scaled the heights of banking and finance in Nigeria, becoming as notable a figure as those who came before her.

FCMB has enjoyed the effectiveness and productivity of Bukola Smith the most. Since joining them in 2006, she has served in different capacities: as the group head of Treasury and Financial Institutions, as divisional head for Investment Banking and Financial Markets; as director of Project and Structured Finance, as divisional head for Group Internal Audit, as head of the Lagos Region, and finally as executive director for Business Development.

Now, it is the turn of FSDH to bask in the game-changing halo of Bukola Smith. Her work is guaranteed to polish the prospects of the bank. Thus, these ar