Kemi Ajumobi 
Shalom Ijeoma Lloyd MBE is an award-winning, senior business professional, with over 29 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry. A British-Nigerian with a BSc and MSc in Pharmacy from the Ukrainian Academy of Pharmacy and an MBA from the University of Liverpool, resulting in a cross-cultural background which has enabled her to push for diversity and cultural awareness in the global business place at every opportunity for herself and others.
Shalom is the Founder of Naturally Tiwa Skincare – a natural, sustainable, synthetic chemical-free skincare company built on valuing healthy, ethical, and sustainable living whilst empowering African women.
She is also the Chief Strategy Officer at Emerging Markets Quality Trials (eMQT), an organisation focused on diversity in clinical trials providing the global pharmaceutical industry access to patients in Africa.
Additionally, she is the Business Development and Sales Director at JE Oils Nigeria, a company determined to put Nigeria’s shea industry on the map.
Instrumental to bringing the UK’s most iconic heritage beauty brand – The Body Shop into Nigeria, Shalom is General Manager, The Body Shop Nigeria.
A mother of three amazing children, she held a NED position on the Milton Keynes & Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce and was a Governor at Milton Keynes College.
Shalom is a TEDx Speaker, a World Trader Freeman, Honorary Professor of Professional Practice at the University of Buckingham, a Department of Business and Trade Export Champion, a Mentor and a strong believer in the fact that anything is possible!
Shalom was recognised in The King’s New Year Honours List 2024 and awarded an MBE for services to International Trade and Women in Business.
Share key experiences in your 29 years in the pharmaceutical industry that have shaped your career
Over nearly three decades in the global pharmaceutical industry, I have been privileged to work across markets, from North America, Europe to Africa, spanning clinical research, scientific sourcing and procurement, commercial strategy, and business development. Each phase taught me something profound, the discipline of science, the importance of people, the power of collaboration, and the responsibility of integrity.
One of the most defining experiences is leading cross-functional teams to launch life-changing medicines in emerging markets. Seeing how geography and infrastructure could determine who lives or dies gave me a deep conviction that access to healthcare should never be a privilege. It also reinforced my belief that business success must walk hand-in-hand with social responsibility.
The pharmaceutical world sharpened my understanding of structure and compliance, but it also gave birth to my passion for creating solutions that touch lives beyond the laboratory. Those years built the foundation of every venture I lead today, where purpose, impact, and profit coexist.
Educational journey in Ukraine and the UK, and influence on how you see healthcare and business
My education was a journey in resilience and perspective. I left Nigeria at sixteen to study Pharmacy in Ukraine, arriving in Vinnitsa and then Kharkov not speaking a word of Russian. It was baptism by fire! But it taught me grit, adaptability, and a deep respect for diversity. Apart from obtaining my BSc and MSC in Pharmacy from the Ukrainian Academy of Pharmacy, living in such a different culture also opened my eyes to how universal the need for healthcare is, that every person, no matter where they are born, deserves access to ethical, quality medical care.
Years later, studying for my MBA at the University of Liverpool bridged science with strategy. It gave me a global view of business, how empathy, innovation, and data can co-exist to build sustainable systems. The blend of Eastern European discipline, Western business acumen and Naija community spirit shaped how I lead: with logic, heart, and a belief that people must always remain at the centre of any enterprise. My journey to date has taught me how to build teams, and approach both global partnerships and local challenges.
Pharmacy and its influence on founding Naturally Tiwa Skincare
The birth of Naturally Tiwa skincare happened due to more personal reasons than professional ones. Naturally Tiwa was born from a deeply personal place and from love. After four cycles of IVF, I gave birth to my twins, and my son Joshua was born with severe eczema. I can say that as a pharmacist, I tried everything science offered, but nothing worked. I was just a desperate mother who turned to nature and to my African heritage. Mixing raw shea butter and oils (to achieve three things – reduce inflammation, redness and itching) in my kitchen, I created something that managed his skin within days.
That moment changed everything. My pharmaceutical training gave me the rigour and scientific discipline to ensure every product would be safe, effective, and sustainable. But my heart gave me the purpose, to create ethical skincare that work whilst uplifting communities and celebrating African ingredients. Today, Naturally Tiwa is more than a skincare brand, it is a brand built on efficacy, ethical sourcing and planet hugging as well as heritage.
Promoting the values of diversity and cultural awareness
Diversity is NOT a slogan for me — it is my lived experience. Having worked and lived across continents, I have seen how inclusivity unlocks innovation. At Emerging Markets Quality Trials (eMQT), where I serve as Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, our mission is to bring diversity to clinical research, ensuring that African populations are represented in the science that shapes global health decisions.
For too long, clinical trials excluded the very people most affected by disease. Through eMQT, we are building partnerships across Africa to change that narrative, empowering local researchers, strengthening infrastructure, and ensuring our communities are active contributors to global medical progress. In every organization I lead, I insist on diverse teams and inclusive thinking. Whether you look at it through a gender, race, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, point of view, diversity is not just good ethics, it is good business, and it is essential for impact that lasts.
Biggest barriers to diversity in clinical trials, and how eMQT is contributing to overcome them
Although 17% of our world’s population are of African descent only 3% of patients in clinical trials are black people! Black people are underrepresented in clinical trials globally, although by 2050, Africa will represent a third pf the world’s population! That is staggering!
Up to 95% of cancer patients in Africa die due to late diagnosis and although some might say that the prevalence appears low, the numbers are high!
The barriers are multifaceted, lack of infrastructure, regulatory bottlenecks, limited awareness, and historical mistrust of medical research in many communities. But the consequence is clear- medicines are developed based on incomplete data that doesn’t always represent us.
At eMQT, we are building from within. We invest in training healthcare professionals, strengthening clinical capacity, and creating transparent partnerships with institutions. Our goal is to make Africa an active participant/ mainstream, not a passive recipient, in global healthcare innovation. True innovation must be inclusive and representation in drug development and clinical research is non-negotiable if we want medicine to serve everyone.
Importance of women empowerment through business support, especially in emerging markets
Empowering women is both the right thing and the smart thing to do. In emerging markets, women form the backbone of economies yet face structural barriers to growth. Businesses can change this by creating ecosystems that don’t just employ women but elevate them. Empowering women does not mean excluding or emasculating men, it is a journey we all have to take together.
Women in high and prominent positions also have to play a huge part in this because we cannot keep singing this empowerment song without putting our money where our mouth is.
I believe in the fact that the best qualified person whether male or female should get the job however, we must widen the funnel and let more women through because when women are given the opportunity, magic happens!
Businesses need to provide fair pay, safe working conditions, and skills training, because when women earn, communities thrive. Enough of the eye-service! Empowerment must exist at decision-making levels. We need more women shaping strategy, finance, and policy, not as tokens, but as catalysts for innovation. Representation is not charity, it is how we build stronger, more sustainable economies.
Why focus on natural and sustainable skincare with Naturally Tiwa, and challenges faced
My motivation began with my son’s eczema, but it quickly evolved into something far greater, a calling to blend science with sustainability and African heritage. I wanted to and still want to prove that “A Beauty” could mean ethical, effective, and world-class.
I believe in the power of medicine, in the power of science however, the efficacy and power of nature and natural ingredients cannot and should never be underestimated. For generations across Africa, nature has been our pharmacy and our beauty cabinet. Our ancestors relied on ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil, and baobab long before they were labelled as “superfoods” or “miracle oils.” Yet, too often, our ingredients only gain global recognition when someone from the Western world claims a new “discovery.” Naturally Tiwa exists to reclaim that narrative, to show that Africa has always been the source, not the afterthought.
The challenges have been real: educating consumers about natural products, breaking into an industry dominated by global giants, and navigating sustainability in regions with limited infrastructure. But every challenge has strengthened our resolve. Sustainability for us is not a buzzword, it is a way of life. From sourcing to packaging to trade, we operate with the belief that every business decision should hug our planet in some way.
Importance of skincare, and why it shouldn’t be ignored
Skincare is not vanity, it is wellness. Our skin is our largest organ; it absorbs over 60% of what you put on it so what we put on our skin is as important as what we eat! Our skin is a mirror of our health, emotions, and lifestyle. Taking care of it is an act of self-respect and self-awareness. For women, especially those balancing multiple roles, skincare becomes a moment of mindfulness, a pause to reconnect with oneself.
For both women and men, healthy skin builds confidence, and confidence empowers. I often say that skincare is self-care with purpose. It is not about perfection; it is about honouring yourself and recognising that caring for your skin is caring for your whole being.
Sourcing ingredients for Naturally Tiwa, and criteria used to ensure quality
I am a bit of a control freak which means that I get a kick out of the fact that when you pick of a jar of one of my products, you are able to trace at least the main ingredient back to its original source. Integrity guides everything we do.
We currently have two factories in Nigeria (JE Oils in Gwagwalada and Naturally Tribal Nigeria in Essan, Niger State). In addition to producing our own, we work directly with women collectors and processors to source raw, natural ingredients like our unrefined, raw shea butter, Kola Nut and Millet. Our criteria are clear, ingredients must be natural, cruelty-free, sustainably produced, and ethically traded.
We prioritise transparency, traceability, and impact. Every Naturally Tiwa product represents a chain of empowerment, from the woman processing raw shea in the village to the consumer applying the final product. When you use Naturally Tiwa, you are not just nourishing your skin; you are uplifting a community.
Receiving an MBE, what does this recognition mean to you?
Receiving an MBE was surreal, humbling and affirming all at once. Standing at Windsor Castle that day, I carried with me every woman who pounds shea kernels under the Nigerian sun, every entrepreneur building quietly against the odds, and my children, my nieces and nephews who now see what is possible when purpose meets persistence.
This recognition wasn’t just about me. It was about ethical trade, women’s leadership, and the bridge between Africa and the world. The MBE reminds me that ordinary people can do extraordinary things when driven by purpose. It is both a milestone and a mandate to keep using business as a force for good.
My first question when I received ‘the’ letter was – ‘why me’ and today I embrace, accept and wear this as a badge of honour, patting myself on the back and saying, ‘I am worthy’.
The Body Shop is known around the world. How were you able to connect with them and then bringing it to Nigeria?
It honestly felt like destiny. As a British Nigerian who has spent years championing sustainability and ethical beauty through my own brand, The Body Shop’s values mirror my own. I am a UK Department for Business and Trade Export Champion and when the opportunity arose, I was made aware of it and jumped on it. When the opportunity to bring this iconic British brand founded by a women, I consider a role model (Dame Anita Roddick RIP) to Nigeria, it felt like a perfect alignment of ethos and timing.
There were other contenders for the franchise, but The Body Shop chose me and that was a moment of deep validation.
When you go to Europe, America, Asia, you see the body shop brand so why not in Naija, why not in West Africa?
Our first launch in Abuja on International Women’s Day 2025 was emotional. Seeing our team, the customers, and the joy in that room, I felt a wave of fulfilment. It wasn’t just business, it was empowerment in motion.
In October, we opened our first store in Lagos and that was simply incredible! My team showed up and knocked it out of the park.
The response has been phenomenal. Nigerians know and love The Body Shop, and now they are experiencing it in its full essence right on their doorstep. This expansion isn’t just retail, it is representation, purpose, and pride.
Future plans for Naturally Tiwa Skincare and eMQT?
For Naturally Tiwa, our focus is on deepening impact and expanding reach, especially across Africa and globally. We are developing innovative, nature-driven formulations and exploring partnerships that amplify African ingredients on the world stage. Next on the cards is our all-natural lubricant called ‘UTO’ which in Igbo means ‘pleasure’. Women going through menopause and women undergoing chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy experience virginal dryness so this is a problem we intend to address with UTO – watch this space!
For eMQT, the mission continues: to make Africa a central player in global clinical research. We continue to knock on pharma company doors to help enable us continue to build capacity, foster trust, and ensure that our data, our people, and our science shape the future of medicine.
Both ventures share one philosophy, that purpose and profit not only can coexist but must. It is about TRADE and NOT AID!
Diversity and sustainability as contributors to the evolving skincare industry
The future of skincare belongs to brands that are inclusive, transparent, and sustainable. Consumers today are savvy, curious and conscious, they care about origins, impact, and integrity. I believe African inspired brands have a huge role to play in this next chapter, because our ingredients, our traditions, and our stories are rich with authenticity.
Naturally Tiwa stands at that intersection, merging heritage with science, and sustainability with style. My role is to continue being a voice for responsible beauty and to ensure that as the industry evolves, Africa is not just included but celebrated.
Balancing professional commitments and being a mother of three?
This question always comes up, and it is almost always put as an either/or. Interestingly, I rarely hear men asked how they balance fatherhood and work. I love being a mother, and I love my work; I don’t have to choose between them. And dare I say it — women are the best multitaskers in the world!
For me, balance isn’t about doing it all, it is about doing what truly matters and enjoying both the process and the journey. I have learned to be present wherever I am, whether in a boardroom or at home with my children. My kids, my nieces and nephews, and my brothers keep me grounded — they are my “why.”
I often say that when you love what you do, it never feels like a chore. My professional life brings me joy, and I involve my children whenever I can. I was born to be a mother, it is the best job in the world, and I find that when I’m happy and fulfilled, they are too.
I set boundaries, delegate (on the days I can control my inner control-freak!), and constantly remind myself that grace is just as important as grit. Some days I excel at business, other days I excel at motherhood and that’s perfectly okay. What matters most is consistency and alignment: that everything I do, personally and professionally, serves a purpose greater than myself.
With life comes challenges. How should we handle life’s challenges?
Challenges are inevitable, they are life’s greatest teachers. I have faced and continue to face my share, and each one has refined me rather than defined me. The key is to stay anchored in purpose. When you understand your “why,” you can withstand any “how.”
I approach every obstacle with faith, gratitude, and the knowledge that discomfort often precedes growth. Surround yourself with people who lift you, stay open to learning, and remember, every storm eventually passes, but the lessons remain.
Advice to aspiring female entrepreneurs
Believe fiercely in your vision, even when no one else does. As women, we sometimes underestimate our strength – imposter syndrome is real but just smash that damn glass ceiling. Our intuition, empathy, and resilience are powerful business tools. Start where you are, with what you have, and stay consistent.
Success is rarely a straight line. Embrace setbacks as detours, not dead ends. Build a support network, lead with integrity, and never compromise your values for convenience. Your authenticity is your superpower, guard it, nurture it, and let it guide you.
I try to live by three (3) principles in this order:
1. Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. (Saint Francis of Assisi)
2. Secondly, it is better to be prepared and not have an opportunity than to have an opportunity and not be prepared (Whitney M. Young)
3. There will always be obstacles and barriers as we go through our life journey however, I do believe that ‘Failure’ is an option! Failure is the first step to success; multiple failures are multiple steps towards success. Name an idol, a mentor, someone you admire who has not failed multiple times to get to where they are
Staying motivated and inspired in both your professional and personal life?
My children are way up there! For my first son, I was told it would be hard for me to conceive but he arrived and changed everything! It took ten years and four IVF cycles for my twins to arrive in 2014 and I had them at 40. I would have gone through more IVF rounds just to have them! They motivate and inspire me to be better, do better, every day.
For work, purpose is my fuel. Do you ever stop and ask yourself: Why are we here? I did but not anymore. Knowing that my work touches lives, communities, creates jobs, and changes perceptions keeps me going. I am inspired by stories of courage, innovation, and collaboration.
Personally, my faith, my family, and gratitude keep me grounded. I surround myself with positive energy and never stop learning.
Once I turned 50, I stopped giving a damn and focus on what makes me happy! It took me quite a while to get here.
A day never to be forgotten, and why?
There are two days that forever shaped me. The first was the day my first son, Isaac, my miracle baby was born. His arrival allowed me to live out my own Sarah and Abraham story, a powerful reminder that faith and perseverance truly move mountains.
The second was the day my twins were born. After years of hope and prayer, holding them in my arms redefined my entire sense of purpose. Their birth not only made me a mother of three but also gave birth to Naturally Tiwa Skincare which is living proof that love can transform pain into purpose.
My children awakened me to the purest truth – that you can love another human being more than yourself, and that love, in its truest form, can inspire you to create, to nurture, and to build a legacy that lasts far beyond you.
In every role I play, as a mother, scientist, entrepreneur, and leader, my mission remains the same: to use business as a force for good, to empower others, to enforce my Trade Not Aid mantra and to prove that Africa’s time is now.