Our Woman Crush Wednesday, Ugochi Ilomuanya is a people development strategist and leadership expert who combines a practical approach to leadership with informed decision-making. With more than seven years of experience in workforce development, organisational change, and sustainability, she focuses on helping companies build strong, people-centred structures that last.
She is among only 30 individuals in North America to have received the Mortimer J. Adler Fellowship, which recognises emerging leaders who show a thoughtful, ethical approach to complex global challenges.
Ugochi earned both an MBA and an MSc in Information Systems, with a focus on Business Analytics, from Auburn University’s Harbert College of Business. She also studied at the University of Jos and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Her professional background includes leadership roles at global companies such as Unilever and Upfield. While at Upfield, she led the Shea Sustainability Programme in Bongbini, Ghana. This project, done in partnership with Fuji Oil’s Tebma Kandu initiative and supported by the Global Shea Alliance, helped improve the income and quality of life of over 3,000 women working in the shea supply chain. It also supported local development and long-term financial stability. Ugochi also helped roll out the Blue Band Good Breakfast Challenge, a health and nutrition campaign that reached children in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
In her role as Corporate Affairs and Communications Lead, she built stakeholder and regulatory engagement systems that helped reduce import tariffs significantly. She contributed to M&A transitions, HR digital transformation, and several people-focused projects. Her work was recognised with the Upfield CEO award in 2020.
At Unilever, Ugochi supported several youth development programmes, including the Unilever Leadership Internship, Ideatrophy, and the Heroes for Change initiative, all aimed at preparing young Nigerians for the workforce.
Ugochi’s interest in helping people grow extends beyond her corporate roles. While at Auburn University, she served as a Career Coach and Instructor, guiding more than 200 undergraduate students in leadership and career planning. She also held leadership roles in student government and was a member of the university’s Teaching Effectiveness Committee.
Her journey in leadership started during her undergraduate years, when she became the first female Deputy Senate President of the Joint Student Union Government at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She also led a student gender advocacy group as part of the Voices for Change programme, which focused on gender awareness and student support.
Ugochi is certified as a Six Sigma Green Belt and has supported manufacturing and process improvement work in West Africa and North America. She is a member of both the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), which reflects her grounding in both global standards and African workforce needs.
Her professional path has taken her across Africa, North America, Australia, and Europe. Though she speaks some French, Ugochi sees leadership as a universal language shaped by empathy, vision, and integrity.
She believes that innovation must be guided by both strategic thinking and care for people. Through her mentoring of young professionals, she helps others build strong values alongside their skills.
“Leadership, to me, is not about taking control,” she says. “It is about helping others move forward with clarity, confidence, and self-respect.” For this outlook and more, Ugochi is recognised by Pride Magazine Nigeria as a worthy Woman Crush not just for today but always.