Social entrepreneur and business leader Fola Komolafe MBE, is the first female and first black CEO of World Vision, the largest child-focused charity in the world
“I was a very adventurous child,” Fola Komolafe reflects, “and I cared deeply about everything. I was also extremely competitive,” she adds with a laugh. Even third place in a national maths competition felt like failure to 15-year-old Fola! Perhaps it’s no wonder that this adventurous, compassionate, competitive child grew up to be a successful businesswoman, entrepreneur, CEO and all-round trailblazer for women and ethnic minorities in UK leadership roles.
Faith at an early age
Fola was born in Lewisham, London, but went to school and university in Nigeria. “I grew up in a household of two faiths. My mum was a Christian and my dad was a Muslim,” she explains. “But my grandmother made sure I went along to a Baptist church every Sunday.” By the time she left for boarding school, Fola had an appreciation for different faiths but a conviction that there was something profound and captivating about Jesus; a call on her life she had to respond to.
“I knew I had to own my faith, that I had to decide for myself how significant it was to me. So I thought through everything logically, and somehow found that every narrative and every reasoning in my mind led me back to God as the creator of this space I live in, and the author of my every moment.”
Fola’s carefully considered decision to follow Jesus as an 11-year-old became complete surrender and wholehearted dependence through her teens and early 20s as she journeyed through the debilitating grief of losing her dad at the age of 13, followed by the death of her husband as a young married woman in 1993. “My faith really got me through these challenging times in terms of reliance on God and seeing him practically be my support, my help and my strength. This reliance has continued to resonate through my life.”
A wake-up call
“I didn’t set out to work in international development,” Fola shares, “although now it makes perfect sense!” Fola studied architecture at university in Nigeria, followed by computer science at Brunel University and completed an MBA in finance at City University in London in 1998. She then launched herself into the world of business, working for large multinationals including HSBC and IBM.
“I was very ambitious and loved all the roles I was in, but one Sunday at church I had a bit of a wake-up call.” Fola recalls a moment in 2006 when she sensed God clearly telling her she needed to leave her job as a senior consultant and head of diversity at IBM. “I knew it was God, not me, because I’m a bit of a workaholic – it’s the competitive streak in me – and it’s not a thought I would have had of my own accord.” With nothing lined up and no idea where God was leading her next, Fola stepped out in faith and handed in her notice to the astonishment of all her colleagues.
Conversations with then CEO of Tearfund, Matthew Frost, enabled Fola to discern that God was nudging her in the direction of international development: “I realised that I had skills I could offer where they were really needed.” Fola began building a bridge from the private sector to the NGO sector by working alongside UK Christian charities as a managing director of Indisys Business Solutions, providing strategic direction and advice, before becoming global international development lead for Mazars [a leading global professional services firm now known as Forvis Mazars]. Simultaneously, Fola co-founded and led a number of local charities (for which she was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to business and community), alongside chairing the local food bank, and becoming deputy lieutenant for Buckinghamshire* and a vice president of the British Red Cross. In 2023 Fola became the CEO of World Vision UK.
“I can look back now and see how I’ve been in God’s hands,” Fola reflects, acknowledging how God has been gently and intentionally crafting her character and experiences from a young age. “He has steered everything to position me where I am now, so that I’m really living out the strengths of my childhood – the caring piece of me, the knowledge of poverty from my childhood and also my travels while directing multimillion pound international development projects in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa for the Open University. And the competitive part of me that loves to lead excellently, my training and experience in business and the adversity that has made me both dependant and resilient – it’s all down to him.”
Trailblazing
Fola is the first female CEO for World Vision UK. She is also the first black CEO. Being the first is not an unusual experience for Fola; being the first female or the first black individual has been a marker of her career. “I’ve been in many board rooms where I’ve been the only female, or the only black person. I’ve been in many roles where I have been the first female or first black woman to hold that role. I’ve had people hand me name tags at conferences with ‘Mr Fola Komolafe’ on, simply because they expect me to be a gentleman as I hold such a prominent role.” There have been times when this has felt like a lonely, challenging responsibility, but Fola also sees it as a calling. “I want to show that there are no limits other than the ones we place upon ourselves; that with God’s help everything is possible.”
If you put light in the light, it cannot shine, but if you put light in the darkness, then you start to see the real brightness of that light shining
Joshua 1:9 has been a significant scripture for Fola: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” She comments: “I’ve walked that scripture literally wherever I go. I believe it’s part of a calling to pioneer, to lead and to make a way for others.”
Rhythms of grace
“It takes a lot of boldness and courage to follow God’s call and step into something new, but it also takes courage to say no to things,” Fola shares. “You can’t do it all! As an ambitious woman, this is something I’ve needed to learn.”
For Fola, obedience looks like knowing who God has made her to be and following his gentle rhythms of grace day by day. “I’ve stepped out of grace before,” Fola confesses, remembering occasions when she’s pursued her own ambitious agenda, “and I definitely don’t like it! It’s exhausting!” When walking in grace – following God’s daily promptings – Fola finds she has an inner strength to continue. Sometimes God’s promptings require stepping back from things, listening to her body, resting and saying no; other times, it involves driving herself and taking on new opportunities.
I’ve been in many board rooms where I’ve been the only female, or the only black person
The world may measure Fola’s success by the many roles she’s held and awards she’s been given – recognition she rightly appreciates, values and is humbled by – but for Fola, true success is about keeping pace with God and being obedient to him on a day-to-day basis. “My goal each day is that when I go to bed at night and reflect, I feel peace that I have somehow navigated the day with God’s help and made the right decisions according to his promptings, while caring for those he has called me to care for, especially my family.”
Fola’s role as a Deputy Lieutenant is a Crown appointment and one of several deputies to the Lord Lieutenant of a lieutenancy area: an English ceremonial county, Welsh preserved county, Scottish lieutenancy area, or Northern Irish county borough or county. You can find out more about World Vision’s work and sponsor a child at worldvision.org.uk
Words by Jane Knoop
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