Executive Profiles

FOUNDER / CEO (FE Adeniji)

‘WESIE’ Founder and CEO, Miss FE Adeniji began playing basketball in her teens. Persevering through many challenges, both athletic and personal, she eventually worked her way up from her college team to a National League Division 1 team. After spending a brief spell in Australia, she returned home to the UK and played for the Sheffield Hatters where she won back-to-back National League Championships.

While she personally experienced some success, it was the series of challenges she faced along this journey that led her to conclude that females had limited options and opportunities to achieve their full potential as players; this realization would change her life forever.

She decided to re-orient herself towards the goal of becoming a basketball coach, with the ultimate intention of working to create more opportunities both on and off the court for female athletes to achieve their full potential.

Her experience in the medical field as a pharmacist also made her especially sensitive to current health challenges being faced by people on a daily basis within the face of struggling health care systems across the world and Africa in particular. While attending an international health conference she realized that she could easily combine her efforts to help women excel in sport with a push towards increasing awareness of health issues at the same time, greatly improving the overall well-being of the individuals as well as their communities.

Thus, ‘WESIE’ was founded, with the motto ‘To Inspire, Empower, and Enable.’

“It is our hope that this organization will serve as a platform to improve the health and wellbeing of communities by inspiring, enabling and empowering participants and the general public for many years to come.”

ADE UTA ADENIJI- PROJECT MANAGER

Ade is a consummate business professional and brings significant experience from both the public and private sectors of the financial industry to the team.

Her areas of expertise include financial control, quality control, and project management. She is an in-depth business analyst with experience gained from working in some of the leading financial institutions within the city of London and beyond.

A vivacious person at heart, she enjoys socializing and will often be the last person left on the dance floor, having outlasted everyone else with her incredible moves!

CHERRI WALKER- SECRETARY

Cherri is a mum to two young girls and has first hand experience of the challenges and pressures involved in remaining healthy whilst teaching her girls to make healthy choices. A working mum who also runs her own cosmetic business, she started supporting the team as a volunteer during its early days, since then her consistency and contributions to the team have led to her taking on a more permanent role within the team.

BELINDA ADESHINA- HEAD OF COACHING

Belinda brings a significant amount of sporting knowledge to the team. A former top sprinter and national league basketball player she is well versed on what is required to be an ‘Elite’ athlete and despite being a working young mum continues to engage in various sporting activities.

She understands first hand the challenges involved and support required to achieve ones full potential in sport. She also understands the health benefits involved and now a young mum recognises the importance of inspiring females to remain active and healthy whilst equipping the younger generation with the necessary tools to do this.

MAURICE ESSIEN ARCHIBONG- SECRETARY (Nigeria)

Maurice is a chartered accountant who brings a wealth of administrative experience and business intelligence expertise to the team. He has significant experience in the public sector and is a member of the consultancy faculty of the institute of chartered accountants in Nigeria.

He also adds significant experience gained from working directly with the youth sector to the team. For years, he mentored various youth whilst helping them access government skill development programs in order to help them make impacts on their own communities. He also had a brief stint as a grass-roots populist politician. Over the years he has proved himself key to our success in organising events in Africa as he has been the ‘general on the ground’ of WESIE’s operations in Nigeria.

In his spare time, he is an avid fan of cultural activities and can often be found listening to music or watching movies.

KOLA WILLIAMS- VOLUNTARY ADVISOR

Brings to the team ‘real life’ experience of the challenges young people in inner city London face on a daily basis.

As a former victim of gun and gang crime he is well aware of the challenges young men and women face. Indeed he has developed a passion for improving the lives of young people and has been a part of several projects to this effect, such as the award winning Brent Crime Prevention Initiative.

With the support of various stakeholders such as the metropolitan police and HSBC he has also organised and hosted several other events and consequently been invited to meet with the prime minister at 10 Downing street to highlight the challenges young people face along with possible solutions.

He appreciates first hand the difference sports can make as a young person and adult. He enjoys kick boxing and boxing in his free time.