Temi Dalley is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of exceptional performance in the HR field. She has built core expertise in strategic leadership, corporate governance, business management, people management, talent management, career development, transformational change, and project management.
As the pioneer Group Executive, Human Capital and Corporate Services of Sterling Financial Holdings Co., she successfully steered the Human Capital function through the bank’s transition into a holding company. Her visionary leadership has resulted in operational excellence, sustainable growth and a high- performance culture.
She leads a team of competent Human Capital, Infrastructure and Corporate Services professionals dedicated to creating an enabling work environment and remarkably skilled workforce in a highly demanding digital world of work. Her efforts in this regard are noteworthy as they have earned the organization the prestigious Legendary Award by the Great Place to Work Institute for being recognized as a Great Place to Work more than five years in a row.
Temi’s impact extends beyond her immediate workplace, as her contributions to the finance and HR industry have earned her accolades and recognition on a global scale.
She was named among the 101 Most Influential Global HR Leaders by the HRD World Congress in 2018; she received the HR Leader of the Year award from the HR People Magazine Awards in 2020 and was listed among the 122 Top Chief Human Resources Officers by People Hum in 2022. In 2023, she further solidified her reputation as a catalyst in the HR industry by being recognized as one of the TOP 100 Career Women in Africa.
Additionally, she was recognized as the Visionary Leader of the Year 2023 in Human Resources by the Association of Elite Human Resource Professionals, honored with the Transformational Leadership Award by Iconic Brand Africa in 2024, and named among Leading Ladies Africa’s 100 Most Inspiring Women in Finance for 2025.
She sits on the advisory board of Advantage Health Africa and Nexford University, where she contributes her insights and expertise to advance healthcare and education initiatives.
She serves as an executive member of the Association of Professional Women Bankers, an arm of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), where she plays a pivotal role in promoting women’s professional development and empowerment in the banking sector.
She is the Executive Sponsor of OneWoman by Sterling, a proposition designed to provide bespoke financial offerings to all female customers and clients, catering to their various needs to drive sustainable economic development and inclusion. Born out of the passion for seeing female employees thrive and succeed in the workplace and not be limited by the bottlenecks that typically plague women, she set up the Bloom Network where she serves as the Chairperson. The network is a community created to partner with female employees for a successful career through coaching, mentoring and advisory initiatives.
Temi Dalley is an alumna of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Middlesex Business School London, and The Wharton School USA. She holds memberships in esteemed professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (IOD), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) UK, the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) USA and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), Nigeria, among others. Her multifaceted career and dedication to excellence in HR leadership make her a prominent figure in the industry and an invaluable asset to the organizations she serves.
