Nneka Abulokwe, OBE (/ŋneka ˈabuːlɔːkwei/) is a British Nigerian tech and digital governance entrepreneur. She is one of the first Afro-Caribbean professionals in the UK to serve on the board of a leading European digital transformation organization, she is the founder and CEO of MicroMax Consulting.[1] In 2019, she was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for services to Business.[2]
Early life and education
editAbulokwe was born in London to a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother and grew up in the city of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. In 1991, she obtained her BA degree in history from the University of Port Harcourt. She later obtained her MA degree at the University of London and a DBA degree from Cranfield University School of Management.[3]
Career
editAbulokwe is the founder and CEO, MicroMax Consulting.[3] In 2013, she joined the board/executive committee of Sopra Steria as an executive director.[1] In 2017, Abulokwe became the Chair, Board Nomination Committee Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA). As the chair of the board, she introduced the board nomination process by corporate governance activities. Abulokwe promoted diversity and leadership inclusion among the management of the organization.[1] In 2020 she was appointed Non-Executive Director, University of Cambridge, on the Audit and Risk Committee and Non-Executive Director for Private Equity backed Davies Group.[4] In 2022, Abulokwe was appointed Non-Executive Director to the group board of FTSE listed outsourcing and professional services company, Capita.[5] She was also appointed External Advisor, Global DE&I SteerCo, Shell plc and in 2023 to the Board of Visitors of the University of Oxford Ashmolean Museum.[6]
Awards
editIn 2019, Abulokwe was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for Services to Business.[7][8][9] In 2018, she was ranked fourth in the Financial Times Top 100 Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) Tech Leaders.[10] She was also among the final list of Governance Professional of the Year 2018 Award by the Governance Institute.[3] In 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Abulokwe was featured on the Power-list 100 as one of the most influential black business leaders, placing her among the UK's 100 most influential black people.[11][12] Abulokwe was listed among the 100 most influential people of African and Caribbean origin in the UK.[13] In 2021, Abulokwe was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Cranfield University School of Management, in recognition of her service to business and industry.[14] Abulokwe was awarded Fellowship of The Chartered Institute for IT, The British Computer Society, FBCS in 2014.[15]
References
edit- ^ a b c Henry, Ker. "Women in Business: Nneka Abulokwe". BusinessDay. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Dr Nneka Abulokwe awarded OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II". allAfrica.com. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ a b c "Dr Nneka Abulokwe awarded OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II". allAfrica.com. 23 October 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "Davies appoints new Non-Executive Director to strengthen board as it pushes international expansion". Davies-Group. Davies Group. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "Appointment Announcement". Appointment of Nneka Abulokwe as Independent. Capita. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "Ashmolean Board of Visitors". Ashmolean.Org. Ashmolean. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Nneka ABULOKWE". www.thegazette.co.uk. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
- ^ "Queen Elizabeth honours Nigerian-born entrepreneur, Abulokwe". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "Dr Nneka Abulokwe awarded OBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II" (PDF). Editor's Quill.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "Top 10: The most influential BAME tech leaders in the UK". Financial Times. FT. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "The Powerlist 2023". Inkl.com. News without paywalls. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ "Meghan Markle and Stormzy named among Britain's most influential black people". The Independent. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ Kleinman, Zoe (26 November 2019). "Zuckerberg's tech challenge 'pale and male'". Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "Virtual Graduation 2021 Honorary Graduates". Cranfield University. Cranfield University.
- ^ Abulokwe, Nneka. "BCS Members Register". BCS.ORG. BCS.