ICSAN Changes Baton, Gets First Female President

The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN) has announced Mrs Funmi Ekundayo as the 29th president of the institute. 

Ekundayo becomes the first female President and Chairman of Governing Council of ICSAN since its establishment. She will be taking over from Taiwo Owokalade whose tenure elapses this year after steering the affairs of the institute in the last two years. 

ICSAN in a statement revealed that Ekundayo will be officially sworn in for the new role at an investiture ceremony later in July, 2023.

Born in Lagos, Ekundayo is wearing many caps as a lawyer, chartered secretary and administrator, corporate governance professional, chartered stockbroker and capital market practitioner.

She possesses first and second degree in Law from the University of Lagos. With a career spanning over twenty-five year, Ekundayo spent close to a decade in Law practice before exploring the capital market space starting with the then NAL Asset Management & Trustees Limited (Now SAMTL), UBA Trustees Limited (Now United Capital Trustees Limited) and later advanced to become the Managing Director/CEO of STL Trustees Limited (then Skye Trustees Limited) in 2010 where she led the company to enviable heights. Under her arm, the company emerged market leader with numerous awards to show for it.

She has over the years distinguished herself in her area of core competence as a seasoned trust specialist engaging in the structuring of complex legal, financial and trust instruments. As a   capital market practitioner, she has been involved in the structuring of a significant number of novel and trailblazing structured finance and capital market transactions over the years. 

Following her successful completion of ICSAN professional examinations in 2005, with a Merit in Corporate Financial Management, Ekundayo qualified as a Chartered Secretary and Administrator thus becoming an Associate member of the Institute. She has since grown to become a fellow and member of the governing council who has served and impacted the Institute in several capacity both directly and through various committees she has served in.

In July 2021, Ekundayo made history as the first female to be elected as the institute’s Vice President and Vice Chairman. She was elected president of the Institute in March 2023.