Olatowun Candide-Johnson is a lawyer with over thirty years’ experience in corporate and commercial law and in business development and governance of multinational corporations. During the course of her career, she worked in law practice, shipping, and oil & gas.

Whilst working with the Total Group, she worked in different divisions including three years at the New Business Division in the Paris HQ. Before taking an early retirement, she held the combined roles of General Counsel, Executive General Manager, Management Services Division (incorporating Legal, Audit, Insurance and Anti-Corruption Compliance) and Chief Compliance Officer for the Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria.

In 2016, she obtained a Global Executive MBA awarded by NYU Stern, LSE, and HEC Paris, known as the TRIUM Global Executive MBA.

After many years in corporate life, she decided that it was time for her to venture into the entrepreneurial space and in 2018, she founded GAIA AFRICA, a member-only business (and social) club for women leaders in Lagos to facilitate business connections and expand bottom lines. GAIA AFRICA is dedicated to serving Africa’s top 5% of female C-suite executives, professionals and business founders. Its members support and encourage each other through business opportunities, peer-to-peer learning, mentoring, and collaboration. It is for the select female leader who is looking for a community of like-minded women and who is challenged with the issues of leadership, business growth or career next steps. GAIA AFRICA provides a safe space for women in this demographic around Africa and in the diaspora to connect, build trust, elevate and sponsor one other, and collaborate/partner in business, investments, or social impact projects.

Olatowun is a founding parent of Lagos Preparatory School, Ikoyi, one of Africa’s leading British curriculum preparatory schools; Chairperson, African Delivery Technologies SAS (Kwik Delivery); Member of the Board of Directors of the Nigerian Norwegian Chamber of Commerce; Member of the Board of Directors of 360 Creative Innovation Hub; Member of the Board of Directors of Anchoria Asset Management Limited; Advisory Board Member, Majeurs Chesterfield; Member of the Board of Directors of Pinnacle Oil & Gas Limited; and Member of the Committee on Tourism & Hospitality of the Institute of Directors. She is also an angel investor, and a member of Rising Tide Africa – a network of female business angels investing in entrepreneurs across the African continent.

Olatowun is Wines & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Level 2 certified, and Dame Chevalier de l’Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne (2017). She loves all forms of the arts, culture, food & wine, Pilates, books, and interesting places.