Florence, your career spans over a decade with significant achievements in diverse roles. Can you share a bit about your early career and what inspired you to enter the fields of business, strategy, and project management?
At the start of my career, I hadn’t clearly thought about my future, especially during my A-levels. I studied various subjects without a clear direction, and due to my circumstances at the time, I couldn’t see beyond my immediate situation. My focus was solely on surviving the next year and finishing my A-levels. I lacked a mentor or anyone to discuss my future plans with, which resulted in choosing subjects that did not position me well for university applications. Feeling confused, I opted for nursing, influenced by its job security and some of my family members being in the medical field. However, I did not meet the grade requirements for the university I wanted to attend.
At this point, I began to seriously think about the life I wanted and my career. I decided not to go to university or enrol in an introductory course at the time. My early career involved a lot of trial and error; I worked in various roles, undertook numerous internships, and often worked for free across different industries—from education and retail to being a personal assistant. This gap year helped me realise my entrepreneurial spirit, reminding me of my time in secondary school when I made and sold beaded accessories. My natural ability towards organising events and project management in the ministry where I served also further highlighted some of my skills.
I then started working as an administrative assistant at a theatre consultancy firm, where my ability for the role was noticed. My manager recognised my organisational skills and highlighted that what I was doing was project management. This made me curious and so I applied for jobs that aligned with these areas, including internships at consultancy firms and project management roles. Eventually, I returned to school to obtain my qualifications. I would say that I wasn’t inspired to enter the fields of business, strategy, and project management but rather found my way into it and then honed in on my strengths.
You currently serve as the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Strategy Consultant at Ren San and Co. What are some key challenges you face in this role, and how do you overcome them?
As the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Strategy Consultant at Ren San & Co, I face different challenges every day. On one day I could be providing solutions to last-minute changes for an upcoming initiative, on another day advising a client on internal staffing issues or having a one-to-one strategy session for the next quarter.
Everything I do requires a balance of strategic vision, operational systems and results-driven leadership. On a daily basis, I have to manage the details of how the firm operates in two very different regions, the UK and Africa, across various industries, including retail, education, development, technology etc. I oversee and delegate tasks to teams in different locations and have to maintain effective communication, collaboration, and collective vision. I find myself travelling across various timezones to provide in-person support to clients, launch initiatives and projects and most times on calls and in-meetings whilst still having a personal life and furthering my knowledge with courses and qualifications.
To address the challenges, I work on doing some key things. I practise and insist on strong communication by holding regular virtual meetings with my teams to keep everyone aligned and engaged as well as regular performance reviews to ensure we all remain on track and can adjust our approach as a team where necessary. I prioritise my time with multiple clients by being readily available as my day-to-day can change unexpectedly and I have to remain prepared whilst still maintaining boundaries and integrity with clients. When it comes to balancing clients’ short-term operational needs with long-term strategic goals, aside from tailored strategies, I take advantage of collaboration between clients, especially if interests in certain projects are aligned. I am always reminded of the saying, “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” I also delegate tasks accordingly to my team trusting that they will do the work, it’s essential to me that, I continuously push forward and not micromanage my team, especially during challenging times. With this in mind, I focus on providing feedback, recognising and celebrating achievements, and giving my employees opportunities for professional growth.
I believe in being understanding, and supportive and creating an empowering environment so that my team can thrive and drive our collective success.
You have led a boutique strategy management firm in the UK and African emerging markets. How do the business environments and challenges differ between these regions, and how do you tailor your strategies accordingly?
Leading a boutique strategy management firm in the UK and African emerging markets involves navigating distinct business environments and addressing unique challenges specific to each region.
In the UK, businesses benefit from a stable, well-regulated market with access to extensive data and established business structures. However, the high costs and market saturation present challenges to achieve long-term growth and build generational companies. In contrast, across African markets, individuals have found success piggybacking off what already works. You’ll find many businesses that are low risk and require less capital, such as hair salons, food services, and logistics, making big profits, despite facing challenges such as political instability, regulatory variability, and limited infrastructure.
In both regions, addressing challenges requires country-specific market research and flexible strategies tailored to the unique conditions of each region and industry. You have to remember that both regions have different economies, and what may work in the UK, could also work in an African country but the risk would be higher and require more work to be effective. Understanding the people and culture is also very important as dynamics and the way society works is not the same.
The influence of government also matters as support, resources and the right environment are needed for businesses to be successful and have an impact. The government in the UK understands that businesses contribute significantly to GDP so helps through policies, tax breaks, subsidies etc to create the right conditions for business owners. African governments are gradually recognising the benefits of enabling business owners by understanding the importance of creating supportive environments for economic growth with loans and financial services becoming more accessible but there is still a long way to go to see the benefits.
In my work, I tailor approaches on a client-by-client basis, ensuring that I am not going in blindly and everything is adapted to the market and cultural specifics. I cannot recommend enough the importance of thorough market research, asking the right questions, and being prepared for failure but willing to try again. Success across diverse regions requires adaptable strategies, a deep understanding of local conditions, and leveraging knowledge to meet the specific needs of each market.
In 2017, you launched “Thrive”, an annual event to bridge the gap between women and their success. What motivated you to start this initiative, and how has it evolved since its inception?
Thrive is going to be 8 this year, wow! Although there are a lot of events that are motivational and good, I have found that throughout my journey, as I faced challenges, many of these events were tailored to help you in the moment, making you feel good but after you left and went home, you quickly realise that nothing has changed. You acquired information but no tangible steps on how to take action. Despite the abundance of events available, I also found the support somewhat superficial. People would offer knowledge but often withheld the practical tools needed to progress further. This experience drove me to commit that once I began seeing profit/revenue, I would dedicate a portion of my income and my time to giving back. I firmly believe that giving back is the essence of our lives; as my father taught me, the principle, “to whom much is given, much more is required.”
Over the years, Thrive has evolved to become a community. We started back in 2017 where I planned everything and put out a call and a small group of women applied to join me. Every year we have had more applications with some women returning along with new attendees.
I have been able to host the workshop at amazing locations in London and we’ve also held our first international impact day in Ghana when Thrive was 5. I’ve invited leading women and trailblazers from various industries to share their stories, their challenges and their successes. We’ve listened, we’ve cried and we’ve grown together. Thrive has become an annual event that many have told me they look forward to as part of closing out and preparing for the year ahead.
Thrives’s core objectives is to impact women to win at work and win in life. We believe that individuals don’t have to survive life’s challenges merely; they can thrive, even in the face of any challenges. We shouldn’t allow external circumstances to dictate our lives but rather our internal mindset. Over the last seven years, Thrive has grown into a network and community of like-minded women at various phases of life and in different industries who have developed friendships and genuinely support each other. I have seen some attendees go on to achieve personal and professional goals that seemed out of reach before they joined our community. Their success stories are a testament to the power of a supportive network and how mindset re-engineering can transform your life, enabling you to be more resilient. Through our annual training day, Thrive continues to inspire and equip women with the practical tools they need to excel in all areas of their lives.
Giving back is central to what Thrive stands for, as a portion of the subsided commitment fee that attendees pay goes towards community projects, initiatives and outreaches for widows and single-parent families which has provided food, paid school fees and given resources to those who cannot afford it or are going through challenging times here in the UK and across Africa.
Your dedication to giving back to the community is evident through your work with “Thrive” and your support for widows and single-parent families. Can you share a success story from these initiatives that particularly stands out to you?
My support for widows and single-parent families comes from personal experience, at one point my father was widowed and a single parent with four children to take care of and support. Seeing his strength and resilience as he did his very best to ensure we had all that we needed to live comfortably without my mother opened my eyes to the importance of community and creating space for people who go through something similar.
During COVID, everyone was focused on surviving. As a world, it was a period of uncertainty where nobody knew when it was going to end. While all of this was happening, I kept thinking about the single-parent families, those who lost their partners, those who didn’t have money to feed their children and those who were unable to work in the UK but especially across Africa. Many no longer had access to the support they had pre-COVID.
At this point, we had an existing community of families and widows we supported across Ghana and Nigeria when we had funds available. A client decided not to cancel her contract with us and believed that there was value we could still add to her business despite the pandemic.
I decided to take the profit from the fee the firm charged and did a food shop, sending out packages to the women and families we support. A lady from the community wrote back and said “Thank you so much for providing food for me for the whole month, I can now stop worrying. It has freed my mind and I can now focus on finding out how I can make money from home”. Because of what we did, she started a new business and even reached out to get guidance from the firm, which I offered for free. Today, her business is successful. She started offering food delivery services putting together office lunches and expanding into removals for when people are moving and organisation for those who want to have more space to organise their homes better. Receiving a letter from the lady reminded me that when your mind is focused on survival, it’s difficult to think about thriving or even creating something new. When you are preoccupied with basic survival, you can’t envision your future. However, when you support vulnerable women, it frees their minds, allowing them to think, create, innovate, and have a vision for their lives.
There are several other success stories and thinking about it, I’m also a success because I practised what I preach and have seen remarkable things happen when I decided to come out of survival mode and into thriving. It’s a decision that you can make too, you do not have to sit around and wait, you can start taking action now.
As the only Nigerian-British woman on UCL’s advisory board, what advice would you give to other women of colour aspiring to hold leadership positions in academia and beyond?
I would like to highlight that, it pays to serve people, especially the right people. I was recommended for the position to join the UCL advisory board because my work and character had been watched closely. I made the effort to maintain positive relationships, especially with individuals who have helped me on my journey to where I am now.
My advice to other women of colour aspiring to leadership positions in academia and beyond is to embrace their unique perspectives and experiences as valuable assets. It’s crucial to build a strong network of mentors and allies who can provide guidance and support you along the way, along with sponsors who actively advocate for you, leveraging their influence to recommend you for opportunities, often without the more hands-on guidance that mentoring entails. I would recommend having someone for every key area of your life, but you don’t have to have a personal relationship with that person; it can be through books, teachings, training, advisory, etc.
Be proactive in seeking opportunities for growth and learning, and don’t shy away from taking on challenges that push you out of your comfort zone. Develop resilience to navigate the inevitable obstacles and biases you may encounter and remain steadfast in your vision and goals.
Remember that your diverse background equips you with a distinctive lens through which you can drive meaningful change and innovation. Lastly, advocate for yourself and others, paving the way for future generations of women of colour to thrive in leadership roles.
How do you see the role of women in leadership evolving in the next decade, particularly in the corporate and entrepreneurial landscapes?
Over the next decade, I envision the role of women in leadership significantly expanding and evolving, particularly in corporate and entrepreneurial landscapes. As awareness of gender diversity and inclusion continues to grow, more companies recognise the value women bring to leadership roles. This shift will likely result in increased representation of women at executive and board levels, driving more balanced and innovative decision-making processes. In the corporate world, we can expect to see more women breaking through the glass ceiling, aided by policies that address issues such as the gender pay gap while also promoting work-life balance, mentorship programs, and initiatives aimed at reducing unconscious bias. These efforts will create a more supportive environment for women to ascend to top leadership positions.
In the entrepreneurial space, women will continue to make remarkable strides, fueled by the rise of female-founded startups and the growing availability of funding tailored for women entrepreneurs. The increasing number of networks and support systems dedicated to women in business will further empower female entrepreneurs to thrive and lead successful ventures.
Additionally, the increasing emphasis on social impact and sustainable business practices aligns well with women’s leadership styles, who tend to prioritise collaboration, empathy, and long-term value creation. As these qualities become more sought after in leaders, women will be well-positioned to drive positive change across industries.
What legacy do you hope to leave behind in the business world and within the communities you serve?
As a Christian, one of my primary purposes is to die empty, having poured out and served all those who God has sent me to in the various ways and capacities he has called me. I hope my life leaves a legacy reflecting the transformative power of surrendering my life to God and allowing him to order my steps. I want to leave a legacy where I have fulfilled all my assignments and purpose.
Through my business, I hope to be remembered as a woman who did the hard and smart work, especially behind the scenes, driving impact and breaking barriers whilst helping clients build and operate sustainable business practices that outlive them. Over the last decade of being an entrepreneur with eight of those years focused on running the operations of a boutique firm, I want people to remember that it’s okay to do the small things, not everything has to be big to be successful. You can create your own lane and be amazingly successful, you don’t have to copy other people’s blueprint of what success should look like.
Ren San & Co. was approached to be acquired or merged into by a European-Arab company, the valuation of the company had never crossed my mind, and for something like that to happen made me realise even more just how far we have come. Like wow! A group of people have studied and conducted due diligence on us and now want to acquire us or merge! It’s been a remarkable journey.
Through the communities I serve, I hope that the work done empowers every person so that they too can impact the life of the next person they meet. I want each person to know that their life matters and that they can change their world with their words and actions. They have a choice!
I am committed to stewarding intentionally. If you are ever given a platform to have the ears of influential people to impact change, I would advise that you steward that through impactful projects that can change society and lives. Ultimately, I hope that people can see and hear of my life and know that they can trust God with their lives. I want them to be exactly who God has called them to be and to serve with what they have been given, so that they can have confidence, resilience, and walk in purpose, knowing that they too can drive meaningful change in their unique ways.
