Adesola Makoko
New Jersey,USA
Summary
13+ years of progressive leadership across global markets (Americas, West Africa) at Unilever. Proven expertise in building risk-resilient compliance programs: managed 260 investigations/year with zero litigation, recovered misappropriated funds, and reduced violations by 35–50% through culture transformation. Spearheaded regional compliance platforms boosting stakeholder engagement by 35% and third-party risk mitigation by 30%. Adept at scaling training for 10,000+ employees, optimizing investigation cycle times by 40%, and aligning HR/Finance/ESG initiatives to cut operational risks by 25%.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Business Integrity Officer, North America/Global Investigations Lead, West
Unilever United States Inc.
01.2022 - Current
- Managed the Compliance function and supported cross-functional resources within various operating companies in the region, overseeing the closure of 260+ internal investigations within a year.
- Led an internal investigation involving 300+ employees with no litigation exposure and minimal business disruption.
- Launched a regional compliance platform that boosted real-time engagement with Ethics & Compliance resources by 35%.
- Rolled out an ethics and compliance initiative that transformed culture at a high-risk site, leading to a 50% drop in reported cases.
- Spearheaded BI Investigations training initiative, resulting in a 60% improvement in the quality of internal investigations.
- Designed and implemented an advanced investigation cycle tracker that reduced turnaround time for investigations by 40%.
- Facilitated annual companywide ESG training, enforcing a due diligence protocol that mitigated third-party risks by 30%.
- Partnered with HR and Finance teams on risk assessments and audits, achieving a 25% reduction in identified vulnerabilities.
- Administered department budget and planning, including annual Compliance Team Meeting and internal training evaluation.
- Coordinated data requests via annual surveys and ensured sufficiency of FLA affiliation and accreditation activities.
- Under my leadership, annual companywide employee survey results consistently showed a 5% year-on-year increase in Business Integrity questions.
Business Integrity Officer
Unilever West Africa
01.2015 - 01.2022
- Implemented code compliance programs that decreased reported compliance violations by 35% within the first year.
- Achieved turnaround in employee engagement and buy-in across 10 business sites by creating and governing Business Integrity (BI) Ambassador program—select group of 30+ value-driven employees—that yielded 40% increase in employee participation.
- Reported cases of fraud and corruption investigated, resulting in recovery of over $500,000 in misappropriated funds.
- Produced 100% increase in number of reported cases and supported site performance improvement from negative P&L position to one of the best performing business units in the region within 2 years.
- Nurtured relationships with regulatory bodies and law enforcement agencies, leading to a 30% reduction in compliance penalties.
- Instituted whistleblower protection policies that increased the number of reported unethical practices by 40%.
- Executed risk assessments with cross-functional teams, resulting in a 30% reduction in financial and operational risks.
- Led due diligence process for 3rd party vendors; terminated high-risk contracts and saved millions in potential legal damages.
- Developed KPIs to track the business integrity program, achieving a 20% improvement in compliance metrics within six months.
- Developed and delivered tailored training sessions on business ethics and compliance to 3500+ employees, which covered crucial topics such as accurate records and reporting, managing conflicts of interest, anti-bribery and corruption, sponsorships and donations, fraud, and third-party risk management.
- Promoted community social responsibility via local education and health services programs that benefited 5,000+ individuals.
- Launched a waste reduction campaign that achieved a 40% reduction in non-recyclable waste within the first year.
- Supported diversity and inclusion initiatives that increased representation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles by 15%.
- Coordinated Code Committee sessions by preparing detailed agendas, comprehensive reports, and precise minutes.
Lead Counsel
Unilever Nigeria PLC
01.2011 - 01.2015
- Drafted and reviewed 200+ contracts and legal documents that yielded 20% reduction in contractual disputes.
- Advised on laws and regulations, enabling proactive compliance measures that led to a 75% reduction in legal violations.
- Provided strategic legal advice and briefings to over 20 business stakeholders, leading to a 30% decrease in material legal risks.
- Developed and delivered comprehensive training programs on legal policies, achieving a 95% adherence rate among participants.
- Implemented a communication strategy for the code of business principles, increasing adherence to ethical conduct by 30%.
- Interfaced with external counsel on 10+ key transactions, negotiating favorable fee structures that reduced legal costs by 15%.
- Streamlined claims processes to reduce legal disputes related to product claims by 70%.
- Conducted periodic contract audits across business functions, yielding a 25% reduction in contract-related disputes.
- Reviewed and monitored compliance with company policies and procedures, resulting in a 20% reduction in policy violations.
- Oversaw the legal depository, achieving a 99% accuracy rate in document retrieval and minimizing the risk of data breaches.
- Created and oversaw the monthly 'Legal Newsletter,' which reached over 500 employees and achieved an 85% readership rate.
Solicitor
Detail Commercial Solicitors
01.2008 - 01.2011
Principal Lawyer, Legal Services Department
1 Brigade Nigeria Army
01.2007 - 01.2008
Education
Bachelor of Law, (B.L)/Call to Bar -
Nigeria Law School
01.2007
LL. B - Law
University of Ilorin
01.2005
Skills
- Regulatory Compliance
- Economic Sanctions Compliance
- Data Privacy Compliance
- Compliance Training Delivery
- Due Diligence
- Anti-Trust Compliance
- Anti-Bribery & Corruption Compliance
- Whistleblower Investigations
- Compliance Program Monitoring & Reporting
- Stakeholder Communication
- Compliance Risk Assessment & Mitigation
- Presentation
- Policy, Governance & Contractual Review
- Team Management
- Coaching
- Project Management
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Cultural Awareness
- Ethical Judgment
- Creative Compliance Awareness Initiatives
Accomplishments
I led a group of Business Integrity Officers to excellent results.
Affiliations
- Member, Society of Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE)
- Member, Society for Corporate Governance
Certification
- Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional (CCEP) Certification 2025 (in view)
- Certificate of Achievement – EDGE Leadership Development Program
- Certification of Achievement – Investigations Academy Training – Baker & Mckenzie LLP
- PAN Africa Legal Team Awards for Excellence
- Mechanics of Project Finance – International Faculty of Finance (IFF), United Kingdom
- International Certificate in Risk Management – United Nations Institute for Training & Research
- Alternative Dispute Resolution Professional Certificate Course – DCON Consulting
- Letter of Commendation (Excellence in Law School Moot Court Program) – Director General, Nigerian Law School
Languages
English
Full Professional
French
Elementary
Interests
- Youth mentor, providing guidance and support to empower the next generation of leaders
- Volunteer Work
- Youth Development Programs
- Getting involved in local advocacy groups to promote positive change in the community
Ethics & Compliance Strategy – Compliance Controls Implementation & Monitoring – ESG Frameworks & Reporting
- Led & Resolved Complex Global Investigations
- Directed investigations into alleged violations (bribery, fraud, conflicts) across 6+ countries, achieving 100% case closure with timelines and recovering or saving over $2M in assets.
- Enhanced Third-Party Risk Mitigation
- Redesigned third-party due diligence programs, screening 8,500+ vendors annually and reducing high-risk partners by 30% within 18 months via enhanced vetting protocols and training.
- Drove Compliance Training & Culture Uptake
- Developed and delivered global Business Integrity (BI) training (15,000+ employees) across 2 regions (Americas and Africa) in last decade correlating with BI incident reports year-over-year in trained cohorts.
- Implemented Proactive Risk Assessment Framework
- Established an integrated BI risk heat map, analyzing 20+ risk indicators across markets, which identified and mitigated 3 critical emerging risks preemptively, adopted as a global standard.
Awards
Best Oralist Award – Toyin Saraki Moot Court Competition
Work Availability
monday
tuesday
wednesday
thursday
friday
saturday
sunday
morning
afternoon
evening
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Timeline
Business Integrity Officer, North America/Global Investigations Lead, West
Unilever United States Inc.
01.2022 - Current
Business Integrity Officer
Unilever West Africa
01.2015 - 01.2022
Lead Counsel
Unilever Nigeria PLC
01.2011 - 01.2015
Solicitor
Detail Commercial Solicitors
01.2008 - 01.2011
Principal Lawyer, Legal Services Department
1 Brigade Nigeria Army
01.2007 - 01.2008
LL. B - Law
University of Ilorin
Bachelor of Law, (B.L)/Call to Bar -
Nigeria Law School
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