The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), provider of the world’s most widely used sustainability reporting standards, has announced changes to its Board of Directors on Tuesday, 17 November 2020. The four new Board appointees will take effect from January 2021. Among the new Board Members announced is Mr. Bola Adeeko, Divisional Head, Shared Services at The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE or The Exchange).

GRI is the independent, international organisation that helps businesses and other organisations take responsibility for their impacts, by providing them with the global common language to report those impacts. Appointments to the Board are on a voluntary basis and members serve a term of three years. The membership is refreshed on a regular basis with a global public call for applications.

Speaking on the election of Adeeko into GRI, Oscar N. Onyema, CEO, NSE, said: “Bola’s election is very timely as the need to deepen sustainability reporting in Nigeria and across the African continent becomes more pertinent during the decade of action.  I am very pleased that he would be extending his professional competence to ensure that reporting on impact becomes common practice by many organizations around the world”.

Speaking on the appointment, Mr. Adeeko stated, “I am honoured to be appointed to the Board of the GRI which remains the ‘gold standard’ in sustainability reporting. The GRI has been an invaluable partner in advancing corporate responsibility in Africa, consistently deepening its engagement with stakeholders. I look forward to joining the returning board members and management team to build on successes recorded to date and promote sustainable business practices to deliver positive change.”

Mr. Adeeko’s election comes at a time when corporate sustainability is high on the global agenda – reinforced by the impact of the pandemic and the need to quicken progress on the Sustainable Development Goals – all of which emphasize GRI’s leadership role as an enabler for transparency and accountability. He has proven himself as an accomplished business executive with over 27 years’ cognate experience and currently heads the Shared Services Division of The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).

Following time spent with global companies namely: Sara Lee Corporation, First Data Corporation, and JP Morgan Chase, he returned to Nigeria and held positions such as Chief of Staff and Head, Corporate Services Division at the NSE, and Interim CEO at Central Securities Clearing System PLC. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and INSEAD at the executive and board education level; Fellow, Institute of Directors (IoD), Nigeria; Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration; and Associate, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers. He holds a number of Non-Executive board positions; IoD Centre for Corporate Governance (Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee); United Nations Global Compact Local Network; NG Clearing; NSE Consult.