Oyeyimika Adeboye is the first woman appointed Managing Director of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, a milestone reached in April 2019.
Prior to that she served as Finance & Strategy Director, West Africa for Cadbury since November 2008.
Her early career began in the UK with Midgley Snelling & Co (chartered accountants), and she moved into Nigeria’s manufacturing sector as Director of Finance & CFO at Nigerian Bottling Company Plc for around 13 years.
Adeboye holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Economics & Accountancy from University College Cardiff, Wales.
She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, and a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
Her leadership reflects a rare combination of deep financial expertise and strategic commercial acumen in the fast-moving consumer goods sector. Adeboye emphasises integrity, empowerment, and performance as key values — noting that “the role of leaders is not to get other people to follow them but to empower others to lead.”
Under her stewardship, Cadbury Nigeria and its parent’s West Africa cluster are focusing on brand relevance, local manufacturing, operational resilience and inclusion of female talent in leadership.
Her appointment not only marks a breakthrough for female leadership in Nigeria’s manufacturing sector but also underscores the evolving governance and diversity agenda within global multinationals operating in Africa.