Arese Ugwu

Author, Producer & CEO at The Smart Money Woman, Azuwa

Speaker

Arese has started a movement for African millennial women which has them excited about making smart money decisions. Following her background in wealth management and her interest in storytelling, she has created media products which spark conversations about investment, wealth, entrepreneurship and employment.

After two Best Selling Books and a wildly successful Pan African book tour, Arese went on to Produce the Hit Netflix Series, The Smart Money Woman. Through her work, she has built strong relatable characters which depict the daily financial struggles of the modern African woman and practical strategies for building wealth in an African Context. For years many money management platforms have excluded topical financial issues that specifically affect the modern African woman, Arese's savvy media products not only breaks down financial jargon but also connects relevant financial products to the right audience.

She has worked with some of Africa's biggest brands including; Standard Chartered, GTBank, First Bank, Mastercard, Unilever, Bamboo etc. She is the host of the Smart Money Tribe Podcast which went to number one, in the first week of its release, on Apple's Top Shows Podcast List. Arese has also spoken at and been featured on premium international platforms such as CNN.com, Bloomberg and Forbes Africa. In 2021, she was recognised as one of the Most Influential People of African Descent (MIPAD).

Arese is an independent director for Africa's Largest Indigenous Make-up BrandHouse of Tara International and an advisory Board Member for TW Magazine. She holds an MSc in Economic Development from University College London (UCL) and a BSc in Business and Management from Aston Business School, Birmingham. She is also an alumna of the Lagos Business School, INSEAD Abu Dhabi, and The London School of Business executive education programs. Arese remains focused on creating TV shows and media products that break down financial barriers for African Women