By Enyeribe Ejiogu
Oluwatomilayo Amole is a financial consultant with over 16 years of experience in financial services industry. She is making a mark in the particular area of business sustainability with her expertise.
Amole is one of several people whose cumulative skills and knowledge base, give real meaning to the pay-off line of the marketing communications messages in which Zenith Bank Plc says that it always acts in the best interests of the customers. Amole’s years of interacting with a wide array of retail, commercial customers and high networth individuals, eventually led her into business sustainability advisory services, to help private and public institutions develop their sustainability practices. Amole brings a solution-orientated mindset that aligns with her genuine passion for sustainability. In this interview, she sheds light on her journey and offers insights on how SMEs can develop, implement and benefit from sustainability programmes.
Starting with what and where you studied, please give a concise description of your career trajectory.
I studied Public Administration at Babcock University where I gained a strong foundation in policy, governance, and organizational strategy. I leveraged my analytical and strategic skills in the private sector by joining a well-recognized institution like Zenith Bank where I worked closely with various teams on budgeting, risk analysis, and strategic planning and developed a strong interest in financial management. Over time, I have helped businesses align their financial strategies with sustainability goals, including climate risk assessment, impact reporting, and sustainable finance frameworks.
Finally, as a financial advisor and sustainability expert, I advise businesses on how to create long-term value through responsible and resilient financial practices. I love what I do.
Sustainability has become a buzzword and focus of corporate operations. What exactly does it mean and how strategic is it to the survival and growth of businesses in the present time?
Sustainability in business refers to the ability of a company to operate in a way that balances financial performance with social responsibility and environmental stewardship—commonly captured in the ESG (Environmental, Social & Governance) framework. Sustainability helps with risk management, talent acquisition and retention, consumer demands, investor expectations and many more.
Sustainability is a strategic necessity for competitiveness, resilience, and long-term value creation. Businesses that treat it as a core part of their growth strategy are the ones most likely to thrive in today’s rapidly changing global landscape.
Recall some of the most memorable achievements in your career so far.
I was recognized internally for my ability to bridge finance, strategy, and sustainability teams — often bringing together stakeholders who hadn’t collaborated before. This cross-functional leadership style helped unlock creative solutions and fostered a more integrated approach to client service. In addition, while working with a diversified client portfolio, I developed a scalable risk management framework that addressed currency, credit, and market risks. It was later adopted by three business units, significantly improving their financial resilience and decision-making agility — especially during market volatility.
What is the significant role of a financial advisor in the growth and success of any major organisation, based on your experience in Zenith Bank?
As a financial advisor within a major institution like Zenith Bank, my role went far beyond investment recommendations. It was fundamentally about guiding strategic financial decisions that fuel sustainable growth and operational success. The following are some of the ways sustainable growth and operational success can be achieved. Capital Structuring & Access to Finance; Risk Management and Resilience Building; Cash Flow Optimization; Strategic Advisory and Business Planning.
A financial advisor in a bank like Zenith plays a critical, cross-functional role — serving as a bridge between financial insight and business action. By delivering data-driven guidance, mitigating risks, and unlocking capital efficiency, we empower organizations not just to grow — but to grow strategically, sustainably, and competitively.
Given your experience as a financial consultant and sustainability expert, what advice can you give to forward-looking SMEs on how to develop and implement sustainability programmes against the background of tariffs, forex and supply chain uncertainties?
Based on my experience as a financial consultant and sustainability expert, here’s the strategic advice I would give forward-looking SMEs: first and foremost, treat sustainability as a business strategy, not a side project. Don’t think of sustainability as an extra cost or CSR activity. Instead, embed it in your core business model. Sustainability should strengthen your resilience, not drain your resources. Secondly, focus on resource efficiency and cost optimization; use data and reporting to build credibility. Even small businesses can track and report on sustainability metrics. This builds trust with banks, investors, and clients. Thirdly, just start simple – you could measure energy, water, and material usage, track waste and recycling rates, report on employee wellbeing or community impact. Transparent reporting shows you are future-ready, and it improves access to sustainable finance, grants, or preferential loans.
What career goals do you want to achieve in the next five years?
I fully intend to contribute to shaping sustainability reporting standards and financial disclosure practices by engaging with industry forums, regulatory consultations, and thought leadership. One of my core goals is to mentor emerging professionals and collaborate across sectors (finance, environment, tech) to build integrated solutions that reflect the complex realities of sustainable SMEs. I want to incorporate fintech and data-driven tools to make sustainability analysis more accessible, transparent, and actionable for clients, enhancing both impact and performance tracking. I plan to develop a specialized advisory practice focused on guiding businesses and high networth individuals who want to align their portfolios and strategies with long-term sustainability goals and impact-driven outcomes.
What would you say are the five most important attributes every business builder must have to benefit from sustainability initiatives?
Here are the five most important attributes that enable business builders to integrate sustainability meaningfully and profitably. First is long-term vision – sustainability is essentially about long-term impact. Business builders must be able to look beyond short-term gains and see how environmental and social responsibility can drive future growth, effectiveness and flexibility. The second is adaptability. Sustainability is a rapidly evolving field. Regulatory frameworks, consumer expectations, and technological solutions are constantly changing. Business builders need dexterity to drive, innovate, and integrate new practices without losing momentum. The third attribute is strategic and financial literacy. Business builders must be able to translate sustainability goals into measurable outcomes (brand value, cost savings, risk mitigation, new revenue streams) to unlock the business value of sustainability. This requires fluency in both strategic planning and financial analysis. Fourth is systems thinking, given that sustainability touches every part of a business—from supply chains to customer behavior to regulatory compliance. The ability to think in systems and understand interdependence is crucial for identifying opportunities and avoiding unintended consequences. And lastly, but not the least is stakeholder empathy. By this I mean that true sustainability requires understanding and responding to the needs of a broad range of stakeholders—employees, communities, investors, and the environment. Empathy fosters trust, drives engagement, and uncovers opportunities that purely profit-driven approaches miss.
How do you relax and what are your hobbies?
I relax by spending time with family and friends and going on vacations/family trips. I love travelling and sightseeing.
What do you dislike most about kitchens?
As much as I enjoy cooking, having to do the dishes is one thing I dislike most about kitchens.