Diane Okoko is the Principal Partner at Marcus-Okoko & Co.
In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Mrs Okoko shares her journey to leadership, the challenges of being a woman in corporate Nigeria, and what “accelerating action” for women means to her.
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PT: Can you tell us about your professional journey and how you became a CEO?
Mrs Okoko: My professional journey began in the fast-paced environment of the corporate/commercial law department of a law firm, where I honed my foundational legal skills, navigating the complexities of commercial transactions, negotiations, report writing, analysis, corporate governance and board performance management.
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This experience provided a crucial understanding of the regulatory landscape and the importance of meticulous attention to detail. Driven by a passion for proactive risk mitigation and ethical business practices, I transitioned to the pension industry as Head, Compliance and Risk Management. Here, I leveraged my legal expertise to develop and build robust frameworks to safeguard the organisation’s assets and ensure adherence to evolving regulatory standards, ultimately contributing to the financial security of countless individuals.
Becoming a CEO was more of an assignment than anything else. I had decided to be self-employed so as to focus more on my sons before the realisation dawned on me that I was actually a CEO, building an institution and leading it.
PT: In your opinion, how do women leaders inspire and empower others around them, especially other women?
Mrs Okoko: My answer to this would be to just show the best versions of themselves.
I believe every woman has a unique gift within them. Working hard and keeping their focus will not only bring this gift to the fore but will sharpen it. By being the very best and authentic version of yourself as a woman, you are inspiring the next woman to you. Also, empowerment comes from identifying a need and satisfying it. Really paying attention to the woman right next to you will help you see her need and will equip you to better empower her.
PT: What do you think is unique about women in leadership roles compared to men?
Mrs Okoko: A woman’s ability to see things from a wider perspective than a man allows her to function really well in leadership roles. This unique gift helps her to “see” the answer even with her senses, sometimes, rather than just with her intellect.
PT: What challenges did you face as a woman in your industry, and how did you overcome them?
Mrs Okoko: Can I rephrase this to “are you facing?” The challenges remain even today, and that is the challenge of societal expectations. Those expectations require you to be more passive rather than active, more reserved rather than “aggressive.” Even when closing a particular deal, certain levels of aggression are acceptable from your male colleagues.
The challenge of clients wanting to do certain levels of business with your male counterpart, rather than with a female…. These challenges still abound.
I have managed to circumvent or even surmount some of them by remaining focused and working extra hard. To be in the room with my male peers, I have had to prove myself twice over to prove that I deserve those opportunities.
PT: Can you share one of the most rewarding moments in your career that solidified your passion for leadership?
Mrs Okoko: There have been a number of them, however, one that I remember with fond memories was a time when I was interviewed for a job but didn’t have as much experience as another candidate but the board thought I wasn’t someone the company could afford to let go and so I was offered a different role which I didn’t interview for and a few months into that role, I was requested to take on another role in addition, making me the only Head of Department leading two departments of the organisation.
PT: What advice would you give to young Nigerian women aspiring to become leaders in their fields?
Mrs Okoko: My advice would be very short: Work hard—very hard. Keep your focus and see no barriers. Quite honestly, the closer you get to the barriers, the more you see they are not as daunting as you thought them to be.
PT: How do you balance the demands of being a CEO with other aspects of your personal life?
Mrs Okoko: Balance? Does this really exist? I just find an equilibrium that works per time. I always have a priority scale at every point in my life, and I know what should take priority at every point and prioritise that.
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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 Okoko: This year’s theme centres around speeding up the process of empowerment. There could not have been a better time than now to speed up the growth and empowerment of women.
This is really important to me because I see young ladies who have a lot to offer but have been kind of “shut out” due to a lack of the right opportunity. Women can achieve greatness if given the chance and in my small corner, I try to make room for women whenever the opportunity presents itself. Where there is a woman who has the requisite skill set and qualifications to do a job, I nominate her.
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. Mrs Okoko is also a member of WIMBIZ.
