Funmi Ekundayo Named President Global Corporate Secretaries Union
Funmi Ekundayo, Group Managing Director of STL Capital Group, has been declared president of the Corporate Secretaries International Association, marking a significant milestone for the governance professional with nearly three decades of industry experience.
The appointment was announced this past weekend on the association’s official platform. CSIA serves as the representative body for corporate secretaries and governance professionals operating across more than four continents.
In her new role, Ekundayo will prioritise enhancing global governance standards, broadening capacity-building initiatives, and elevating CSIA’s profile as the leading voice for governance practitioners worldwide, according to the association.
Her extensive career spans legal practice, financial services, and corporate governance. A Harvard Business School alumna, Ekundayo earned both her Bachelor of Laws and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Lagos. She holds fellowship status with the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators of Nigeria (ICSAN), where she serves on the Governing Council and recently concluded a two-year tenure as president and council chairman from 2023 to 2025.
Ekundayo launched her professional journey at Bentley, Edu & Co, in partnership with Irving & Bonnar, dedicating nearly ten years to legal practice before transitioning into financial services and capital markets. Her career trajectory included senior positions at Sterling Asset Management & Trustees and United Capital Trustees before joining STL Trustees, where she rose through the ranks to managing director and chief executive officer, eventually assuming the group managing director role at STL Capital Group.
Her leadership credentials include a previous term as president of the Association of Corporate Trustees of Nigeria and service as Honorary Treasurer and vice president of CSIA prior to her elevation to the presidency.
Among her numerous professional distinctions, Ekundayo is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Institute of Capital Market Registrars, Chartered Institute of Directors, the Institute of Investment Advisers and Portfolio Managers, and the Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals. She also holds associate memberships with the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.
STL Capital Group expressed pride in the achievement, stating, “We are pleased to share the news that our MD and CEO was announced as the new President of the CSIA.”
