Board Member
Ms Rabi Isma
Ms Rabi Isma
Rabi Isma is a seasoned professional with senior leadership roles in Management, HR, Diversity (DEI), Governance, Marketing, Customer Care, Corporate Communications.
Her professional journey began at Guaranty Trust Bank and includes senior roles at British Council (Director Support Services Nigeria and later Director Marketing and Communications Nigeria), Etisalat Nigeria (Director Leadership and Organisation Development), and Etisalat Sri Lanka (Acting CHRO). Rabi also served as a Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Kano State, and was a member of the state’s Governance Technical Reform Advisory Committee (G-TRAC) and the Steering Committee for Policy Framework for Investment.
Rabi is current Chair of the Board of ActionAid Nigeria, part of ActionAid global federation. She also serves on the Boards of Stanbic IBTC Bank and the Society for Corporate Governance Nigeria. She is a member of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of BusinessDay. She previously served on the board of LEAP Africa, a youth-focused organisation that is dedicated to developing transformative leaders for Africa.
Rabi holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Economics from Obafemi Awolowo University (BSc), a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) and a master’s degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy (MIAD) from Ahmadu Bello University, master’s degrees from the University of Wales (MScEcon Management of Information Services), University of Birmingham (MSc International Development) and holds a certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution from Chulalangkorn University, Thailand (Rotary Peace Fellowship). She is an alumna of Harvard Business School.
She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (UK), FCIPD, and a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (Nigeria), MCIPM, the Society for Human Resource Management (USA), SCP-SHRM, and member of the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, MCIoD.
She is a regular mentor for Women in Management, Business and Public Service (WIMBIZ)’s WIMBoard Programme, supporting female executives to achieve board readiness. She was Chair of the 2024 WIMBIZ International Conference Committee. Rabi is featured in two Harvard ManageMentor online short courses on leadership.