Taba Peterside speaks on intentional leadership, mentorship, building confidence in women’s rights

Taba Peterside, Founder and CEO of Waveline Growth Partners, believes empowering women requires more than access — it demands intentionality, confidence, and strategic action.

In this exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES, she reflects on her decades-long career in financial services, her passion for mentoring women, and why navigating workplace politics with integrity is part of leadership.

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

Mrs Peterside: My entire career has been spent in different facets of financial services. I started out as a young youth corper in Nigerian American Merchant Bank, then a subsidiary of the Bank of Boston, USA, and now part of the FCMB Group.

I then transited to investment banking at Stanbic IBTC. I was one of the earliest hires at the then IBTC, following the liberalisation of the banking sector under the regime of President Babangida.

There were so many banks just starting out then, and I was faced with many options when I returned from my master’s degree in Canada. Fortunately, I made a good choice.

I rose to become the head of a dynamic investment banking team that propelled the bank to market leadership in that sector and laid the foundation for the very strong Stanbic IBTC brand of today.

As an economics graduate, I had always been interested in the broader economy, so I then worked in the area of financial regulation and risk management with the Canada Deposit Insurance Cooperation, one of the world’s most respected deposit insurers.

After that, I joined the IFC as a Programme Manager in Accra, Ghana, where I was in charge of a programme focused on increasing access to finance for SMEs across Africa. This was a very rewarding time that exposed me to different African countries.

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Returning to Nigeria, I joined the Nigerian Stock Exchange (now Nigerian Exchange Limited) in 2008, where I was in charge of listed company relationships. I was proud to have overseen the first dual listing of a company’s shares (Seplat) on the London Stock Exchange, in 2014.

A lot of background work went into that, and it was extremely satisfying to see it come to fruition. I founded Waveline Growth Partners in 2017; a microfinance lender focused on supporting female-owned businesses in particular with access to finance.

We are playing our part in promoting financial inclusion to our various loan offerings to businesses and individuals.

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

Mrs Peterside: The demonstration effect is huge. Leadership is not just about attaining senior roles in an organisation. My mother passed on 10 years ago this year, but just being around her as I grew up, and seeing how she ran the home and navigated various life situations, has had a profound effect on my career and life journey.

From her I imbibed that as a woman, nothing should limit your dreams: pursue them with courage, determination and resilience. I have learned that you never know who is observing your behaviour, how you handle the mundane and the challenges.

I strongly believe that, in addition to active counselling, mentoring and coaching, if you comport yourself with confidence, emotional mastery and empathy, you will be a powerful role model to other women.

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

Mrs Peterside: Women are natural multi taskers. We are also blessed with empathy and the ability to see the “softer” side of things in addition to just the hard numbers and generally take a more rounded view of situations.

Of course, this is a generalisation and is not the case for everyone. I have also found that in Nigeria, an additional issue for women leaders is that it is assumed we should take on a motherly role to our subordinates. This was quite a change from my work experience in Canada, where the lines between personal and professional were very distinct.

In fact, you could get into trouble as a boss if you were perceived to be crossing the line and prying into your employees’ private lives. By contrast in Nigeria, it is actively expected in many workplaces.

When all is said and done, I strongly believe that both what are thought of as traditionally male and female competencies are needed for organisational success.

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

Mrs Peterside: I have been blessed to work in very professional environments for virtually all of my career , and I can honestly say I have not faced any significant gender-related challenges.

Women have held senior roles in the banking industry for several decades, and currently we have several female bank CEOs, and numerous others at executive levels. Outside Nigeria, I also worked in organisations that were very intentional in their gender equity policies.

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

Mrs Peterside: The donor-funded technical assistance programme I managed at the International Finance Corporation received the highest internal rating of “Excellent”. It was called the Ghana Leasing Programme, although it also covered Rwanda and Tanzania. This was a source of great personal satisfaction.

While running that programme, I also achieved other milestones that were very rewarding, such as the passing of a leasing law in Tanzania and a significant increase in funding for leases for SMEs. Leadership involved managing stakeholders, my bosses and staff across different cultures, and being able to achieve this successfully was challenging but ultimately extremely rewarding.

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

Mrs Peterside: There is no substitute or short cut to hard work and excellence, even though the world of work has changed profoundly from when I was actively pursuing a career. Scripture even admonishes us that whatever we do, we should work at it with all our heart. You need to distinguish yourself by aiming to be very good in what you do, displaying a high level of competence consistently.

Also, you need to be constantly learning new skills that will enhance you personally and professionally. Don’t wait for an employer to send you “on training”. That is a nice if it comes, but you are the one to chart your own career path and take the necessary steps.

I would say volunteer for stretch assignments and projects that increase your visibility within your organisation.

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the answers; given a basic level of competence needed, you will learn and grow as you execute the assignment, getting input and advice where needed.

It may feel scary but do it afraid. I have seen time and time again that there is more in us than we give ourselves credit for. It is naive to say, as we women often do, that I don’t do office politics, my hard work will speak for itself.

The word “political” may have a negative connotation of back biting and intrigue, but that is not the whole story; there is also the element of being strategic. Every workplace is political, as long as there are human beings in it.

So, in summary, show up, day after day, whether you feel like it or not, and put your best foot forward.

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

Mrs Peterside: Running my own business gives me a welcome flexibility that I may not have enjoyed as a CEO in another organisation. I am able to organise my working week around my children’s schedule, so I ensure I am present for important school events, school runs etc.

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In addition, we operate a hybrid working arrangement, so I also work from home some days. Moreover, I can choose to run my errands at non-peak times, such as going to the hair salon on a Monday morning instead of at weekends.

However, the flip side is that as a Founder/CEO, there is the risk that you never switch off mentally from the business, even when you are not actively at work. One has to be very deliberate to establish boundaries around work, e.g. not taking calls or answering work-related messages after a particular time of day.

In this our 24/7 connected age, even during vacations, people expect to hear from you instantly. If I am on vacation, I try to carve out a limited window for work – related matters every day. After that, it has to wait till the next day.

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 Peterside: What speaks to me is the imperative of being intentional. Advancing the cause of female inclusion in the workplace and other aspects of empowerment, is something that must be deliberately pursued. It takes effort.

I have always taken an interest in developing women in leadership, whether as a formal or informal mentor, through speaking at events and in the workplace. Much of this is getting women to have confidence in themselves and encouraging them to speak up. We tend to be more reticent, not wanting to look like we don’t know what we are saying, even when we are fully competent.

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 Peterside is also a member of WIMBIZ.