The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria (Society) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Koosum Kalyan and Ms. Rabi Isma to its esteemed Board of Directors as Non-Executive Directors.
These appointments mark a significant milestone for the Society as it continues to strengthen its Board leadership with individuals of exceptional expertise and commitment to the pursuit of corporate governance excellence.
Ms. Koosum Kalyan, an accomplished economist and lawyer, brings a wealth of experience to the Board. Her illustrious career has been marked by exemplary leadership and strategic acumen. Having served on the boards of several prestigious companies, Ms. Kalyan’s demonstrated expertise aligns seamlessly with the goals and values of the SCGN. Her insights are anticipated to play a key role in steering the society toward continued success.
Ms. Rabi Isma, with a background in human resources and extensive experience in business partnership within the telecommunications sector, adds a valuable layer of expertise to the Board. Her achievements underscore her dedication to fostering corporate governance best practices. The Society is confident that Ms. Isma’s insights and commitment will significantly contribute to the organization’s mission of promoting ethical and effective corporate governance.
Commenting on these notable appointments, Mr. Muhammad K Ahmad OON, Board Chair and President, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are happy to welcome Ms. Koosum Kalyan and Ms. Rabi Isma to the Society’s Board. Their wealth of knowledge, experience, and dedication to corporate governance align perfectly with our mission to champion excellence in governance practices across industries. We are confident that their contributions will strengthen our initiatives and drive positive change within the corporate governance community.”
The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria looks forward to the valuable contributions of Ms. Koosum Kalyan and Ms. Rabi Isma as they embark on this significant journey.
The Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria is a leading advocate for corporate governance excellence in Nigeria. Committed to fostering ethical practices and effective governance, the SCGN serves as a platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the advancement of corporate governance standards across industries.
Ms. Koosum Kalyan is a South African businesswoman and economist whose career began in the Electricity Commission in Melbourne Australia as an economist. She subsequently joined Shell South Africa as an economist and became a member of the Shell Global Scenario Planning Team after which she embarked on her expatriate posting to Shell International London for nine years. The scope of her work included projects in Nigeria, Gabon, Mozambique, Tanzania; etc. Ms. Kalyan assisted governments in transforming their energy policies and in joining the Extractive industries Transparency Initiative during her tenure at Shell and assisted in digitising government institutions.
She has served on the Boards of several prestigious companies where she expertly contributed her wealth of knowledge to the progress of these companies and was recently appointed the Chairperson of Control Risk for Southern Africa.
Ms. Kalyan has a B. Com Law degree and a degree in Economics from the University of Urban Westville. She has also completed the Senior Executive Management Program at London Business School and a Leadership Management Program at Shell Leadership Institute.
Ms. Rabi Isma is an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Stanbic IBTC Bank. She was previously Director of HR Business Partnering & Health and Safety at Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services Limited (operators of 9Mobile). Prior to this, she had served in various roles as HR Consultant and Lead (international assignment) at Etisalat Sri Lanka; Director of Leadership and Organization Development at Etisalat Nigeria. Between 2011 and 2013, Ms. Isma also served as Special Adviser to the Governor of Kano State on matters relating to Non-Governmental Organizations, the policy framework for investment and governance technical reform advisory.
Ms. Isma also served as a Marketing Director for the British Council in Nigeria delivering strategic goals in the organization’s partnership relations across education, marketing and communications. Prior to this, she had for the three preceding years served as Director, of Support Services, where she amongst other things, developed and led the British Council Nigeria strategy for learning and development hubs, corporate communications, customer service support and the national strategy for outreach. Ms. Isma started her career as an Assistant Banking Officer at Guaranty Trust Bank PLC in 1996 and rose to the cadre of Assistant Manager in 2002 when she left the Bank.
Ms. Isma holds a Master of Science (M.Sc.) Degree in International Development from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; PD Certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand; Master of Science (M.Sc.) Economics, Management of Information Services, University of Wales, Aberystwyth; Master of International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Computer Science and Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
