How women can break barriers and lead with impact- Max-Gbinije

Binta Max-Gbinije is the Chief Executive Officer of BMG SEVEN LTD, a consulting firm. She is an experienced Financial Services Executive and a Management Consultant with practical knowledge of the financial services value chain.

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In commemoration of International Women’s Day, Mrs Max-Gbinije sat with Premium Times to discuss ways women can break barriers, navigate challenges, and lead with impact in their respective fields. She shares insights from her extensive career, highlighting the importance of mentorship, resilience, and continuous learning in achieving leadership success.

PT: Can you tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: My career began in banking, thanks to an opportunity I received during my NYSC at the then International Merchant Bank (IMB), where I was retained after my service year.

Over the next three decades, I worked across five different banks, gaining extensive experience in the sector.

My appointment as CEO came when the international banking group, I was with at the time decided to establish a subsidiary. I was selected as the best candidate for the role, and for eight years, I led a dynamic team that grew the business into a thriving market leader—one that remains strong to this day.

PT: In your opinion, how do women leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women?

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Mrs Max-Gbinije: Women leaders inspire and empower others in various ways, including mentoring and coaching, sponsoring and creating opportunities for emerging talents, recommending individuals for key roles, giving back to younger women, raising daughters with a strong sense of identity and purpose, sharing personal experiences to help others navigate challenges, and setting high standards of excellence while demanding the best from their teams, mentees, and colleagues.

PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: Women in leadership roles bring a unique blend of qualities, including their empathetic nature, stronger emotional intelligence, keen attention to detail and diligence, ability to read and honour the room by giving credit where due, and exceptional multitasking skills where the ability exists.

PT: What challenges did you face as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: Over the decades, I have faced quite a few challenges, but one of the most notable was navigating the “old boys’ network,” particularly when dealing with a line manager who was far from objective and was in a nutshell mean.
I overcame by remaining professional despite ‘provocations’, denials of benefits or perks, and just continued to give my 110 per cent at all times! Sooner rather than later, his antics were shown up and I got moved out from that directorate into a far better role and my career took an upward trajectory from then on!

Moral of experience? Remain focused, do your work excellently come rain or shine, remain professional, have a great attitude towards all and be assured – your day will come.

PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments in your career that solidified your passion for leadership?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: Raising a high performing team who delivered on organisational targets and how we broke even in less than 15 months as a startup, where new companies usually get given three years to break even as a business concern. That ignited my zeal for leading aright and ensuring team members become the best version of themselves at all times.

PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders in their fields?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: To echo President Barack Obama—YES, YOU CAN! I encourage young Nigerian women aspiring to leadership to go for it and make it happen by: learning all they can to become experts and go-to resources in their fields, obtaining necessary certifications, finding the right mentor and heeding valuable advice, working both hard and smart, shedding imposter syndrome and embracing their worth, and being proactive self-starters. Like Nike says—just do it! Take calculated risks, step into uncharted territories, and lead the way with confidence.

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PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: I do this by leaning on my network and not pretending to be a superwoman who can do it all by myself. I call on friends and sisters in need, delegating where appropriate and outsourcing in need as well so I may focus on that which only I can do and should handle.
I am big on time management as well and I take the time to plan and schedule appointments, rigorously reviewing my calendar to avoid overlaps, overscheduling or conflicting events or meetings. Prioritising what is urgent, what is important and what can wait is a key skill that helps me balance all activities and be available as and when due or as required.

PT: This year’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.” What does this theme mean to you and how does it reflect your leadership approach?

Mrs Max-Gbinije: DO MORE!!! For me this is the injunction – we have done a lot and come far but there is a long way to go, and we must keep driving, pushing and taking the right steps to ramp up the momentum. The gender agenda is a real fight and one we must keep pressing in to win not just for womenfolk but ultimately for the good of humanity.

This interview was conducted in partnership with Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ), a Nigerian non-profit organisation committed to advancing and empowering women in leadership.