Mrs Yewande Giwa
Moderator
Yewande is an influential advocate for governance and sustainability. She brings a wealth of expertise, as well as strategic thinking to guide organisations towards responsible governance practices and sustainable business operations. Yewande’s commitment to sustainability has enabled Honeywell Group operate as a responsible corporate citizen, addressing global challenges and delivering long-term value to all stakeholders. She has successfully spearheaded sustainability initiatives and integrated environmental and social considerations into the company’s business strategies. Yewande boasts 20 years of post-call experience in commercial and company secretarial legal practice.
A chartered Company Secretary, she is responsible for implementing and managing the governance framework for the Group, and ensuring adherence to corporate governance standard ensuring compliance with internal and external rules.
Yewande kickstarted her legal career at Banwo & Ighodalo, a leading full-service law firm in Nigeria before proceeding to Zenon Petroleum & Gas Limited (now Forte Oil Plc) where she held a vital role overseeing legal matters within the real estate unit.
Yewande holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, a Master’s degree in Commercial & Corporate Law from the University of London, United Kingdom as well as a Certificate and a Diploma in International Business Law from the University of London. She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators of Nigeria, the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria and continues to pursue additional knowledge and development through several trainings focused on finance, corporate governance, company secretarial practice, sustainability, and compliance.
Career Highlights
• Appointed as the pioneer Head of the Sustainability/ESG function for the Honeywell Group.
• Currently leading the development of the first framework for Sustainability Implementation and Reporting.
• Led the pioneer Board Performance Evaluations & Corporate Governance Audits for member companies of Honeywell Group; facilitated the pioneer Corporate Governance Ratings System Audit and Directors’ Fiduciary Awareness Certification Test for Honeywell Flour Mills Plc, initiatives introduced by the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
• Currently serving as a Steering Committee member of the ‘Lagos Innovates’ programme (a partnership between Honeywell Group and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund to fulfil the social responsibility of educating youths with tech skills and job placements).
• Member of the cross-functional Committee tasked with overseeing the Group’s divestment from a listed entity.