Claire Ighodaro

Claire Ighodaro
Born	Nigeria
Occupation(s)	Chartered management accountant, business executive
Known for	First female president of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
Notable work	Former financial director at BT Broadband; non-executive director roles at Flood Re, XL Catlin Insurance Company UK Limited, Pennon Group PLC; trustee for the British Council; independent board member on UK Trade & Investment Executive Board; chair of Audit Committee at Lloyd’s of London; chair of Governance Committee at Merrill Lynch

Claire Ighodaro CBE is a Nigerian chartered management accountant distinguished as the first woman to hold the presidency of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). She previously served as financial director at BT Broadband. As of August 2022, Ighodaro holds non-executive directorships at Flood Re, XL Catlin Insurance Company UK Limited, and Pennon Group PLC. Additionally, she acts as a trustee for the British Council and serves as an independent board member on the UK Trade & Investment Executive Board. She leads the Audit Committee at Lloyd’s of London and chairs the Governance Committee at Merrill Lynch. In recognition of her contributions to business, she was appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2008.

Education and early career

Ighodaro’s education began at Queens College Yaba Lagos Nigeria (1964–1968), followed by studies at St Anne's School Ibadan (1969–1970), before pursuing accounting at the University of Lagos. Her professional journey started in 1979 with Otis Elevators in London. She joined British Telecom in 1984 as a Management and Development Accountant and advanced to senior project manager by 1988. In this role, she spearheaded the creation of one of the earliest handheld job-reporting tools designed for field engineers. By 2000, she was appointed financial controller for British Telecom Openworld, where she managed the launch of the UK’s inaugural mass-market broadband internet service along with developments in portal, channel, and interactive television offerings.

Non-executive directorships and advisory roles

Following her historic election as the first female president and Chair of the executive board at the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Ighodaro has undertaken various leadership and advisory positions. At Merrill Lynch, she fulfilled duties as a non-executive director and chaired the governance committee. She contributed to governance at University of Surrey through roles on its council and audit committee, and held positions as non-executive director and audit committee chair at Lloyd's of London. Ighodaro is also a member of the board for the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants.

Her portfolio extends to participation on panels such as the FCO Diplomatic Excellence External Panel and involvement with Iddas (Savile Group PLC). She serves as non-executive director and audit committee chair at Lending Standards Board, while also holding similar audit oversight responsibilities at Open University, British Council, and UK Trade & Investment.

Honors and awards

In 2007, Ighodaro was ranked fifth on the New Nation’s list highlighting 100 influential black role models. The following year, she was honored with a CBE for her business achievements. In 2015, she received an honorary doctorate from Open University.

Personal life

Ighodaro is married and has three children.