By Boris Esono Nwenfor
BUEA, Cameroon – Gwendoline Abunaw, Managing Director of Ecobank Cameroon and CEMAC Cluster Head has been honored as the Woman of the Year in the Banking and Finance Sector for the CEMAC Region. Gwendoline Abunaw was recognized for her exceptional leadership and dedication at the Africa Finance Banking and Digital Summit in Brazzaville, Congo, back in January 2024.
The Africa Finance Banking and Digitalization Awards Ceremony for the CEMAC region – AFBDS 2024, brought together more than 300 bankers, regulators and decision-makers from the CEMAC region.
AFBDS 2024 celebrates the achievements of leaders and institutions that have made a significant contribution to the growth and development of the banking and financial sector in the CEMAC region over the past year.
Gwendoline Abunaw is a champion of women’s leadership/empowerment; innovation/ digital transformation in the financial sector as well as youth motivation and technology. Before joining Ecobank Cameroon in 2011, she occupied several roles at both Standard Chartered Bank and Citibank.
With over 20 years of banking experience, she has occupied various roles since 2011, including Head of Corporate Bank Cameroon with coverage of 6 other countries in central Africa, Deputy Managing Director and later, Managing Director of Ecobank Cameroon.
She is also a Board Member at Ecobank Cameroon, Ecobank Chad and E-process International (Ecobank group Technology service provider); as well as Chairperson of the Boards for Pan African Savings and Loans (Microfinance member of Ecobank group), EDC Investment Corporation (Investment Bank member of Ecobank Group) and EDC Assets Management.
Since November 2021 she has been the Cluster Head CEMAC covering 6 Ecobank affiliates. In June 2022, she became the first female President of the Cameroonian Banking and Financial Institutions’ Association (APECCAM), a main entity representing all the banks and financial institutions in Cameroon.
