Okonjo-Iweala appointed to Twitter board of directors

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Former Nigerian finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been appointed alongside, World Bank chief, Robert Zoellick, as new independent directors on Twitter’s Board of Directors.

The announcement was made by Co-founder and CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, on Thursday.

According to the Executive Chairman of Twitter, Omid Kordestani, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala would be an incredible asset for the company as it strives toward transparency in its global operations.

“Ngozi and Bob are distinguished leaders with unparalleled global perspective and policy expertise,” he said. “We are confident they will be incredible assets to Twitter as we continue to focus on driving transparency and making Twitter a safer, healthier place for everyone who uses our service.”

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala took to Twitter on Friday to show her appreciation for the opportunity. She said: “Excited to work with @Jack and an incredible team on the Board of Twitter, a global platform that is such a strong connector of people and ideas.

“It’s a privilege to work again with Bob. ‘Look forward to contributing to the strong and visionary future for @Twitter.”

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala has received recognition and a number of awards. She was named one of the ‘50 Greatest World Leaders’ by Fortune magazine in 2015, one of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’ by Time magazine in 2014, and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s ‘Top 100 Global Thinkers’ in 2012.

She has also received honorary degrees from Yale University (2015), Babcock University (2014), the University of Pennsylvania.