Nigerian Pearl Ijeoma Okoro has been elected to the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation (TRF) for the 2024-2028 term, starting on July 1, 2024. Okoro, a member of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, will work alongside global leaders to oversee Rotary’s charitable initiatives.
Okoro brings over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, where she has excelled in transformation, market development, and management. Her academic background includes a bachelor’s degree in theater and a postgraduate degree in management, with further studies at Lagos Business School. Beyond her professional achievements, Okoro is deeply committed to community service and women’s empowerment.
In memory of her late father, Okoro established the Romanus Emeanuru Foundation for Empowerment and Education Development, which focuses on supporting women. She volunteers with the Sir Emeka Offor Foundation and is active in the Knights of St. John International, a Catholic service group. Additionally, she has held leadership roles as the charter president of her chapter of the Lagos Business School Alumni Association and as a patron of the Egbu Women’s Association.
Since joining Rotary in 1999, Okoro has held numerous significant positions, including RI learning facilitator, assistant regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, and regional vice chair of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign Committee. Her dedication was pivotal in Nigeria’s certification as polio-free by the World Health Organization, a highlight of her tenure as End Polio Now zone coordinator.
“This was a defining moment for me. We introduced strategies to create awareness and raise funds,” Okoro reflects on the polio-free certification. Her belief in the power of giving transcends wealth, emphasizing that “giving is not an exclusive right of the rich.”
Recognised among the “five Rotary women leading the fight to end polio” in 2019, Okoro has received multiple honors, including a certificate of appreciation from the Foundation, Rotary’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.
Beyond her professional and philanthropic endeavours, Okoro enjoys travelling, singing, dancing and gardening. She and her husband, Kingsley, are Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society. Their commitment to Rotary extends to their two children, who are also Paul Harris Fellows.
Okoro will serve with Mark Daniel Maloney, chairman of the Rotary Foundation Trust, and 14 other trustees, contributing her extensive experience and passion for global philanthropy to The Rotary Foundation.