Eguono Onoyovwi’s passion for technology began when she got her first cellphone in high school. “I was so curious about it. I remember thinking, how does this thing work? That’s what got me into engineering. I wanted to understand how phones worked. Not just the hardware, but the network and the software."
Eguono is driven by innovation and change. “I love that my team is like a start-up within a big bank, so not only do we get autonomy and the ability to innovate, but we also have the support of an organization with a lot of resources. It’s empowering because you can make a really big difference. We identify and solve client issues, and we work together as a team to determine how technology can help serve their needs.”
Eguono has a front-row seat to the positive impacts of an inclusive workplace every day. “I get to work with very bright minds, where everyone has an equal say. Having an inclusive environment has led to us coming up with some really cool ideas. By having everybody speak up, you hear things you never would have thought of yourself. Our diverse employees are a subset of our clients, so when we come together, we're able to identify gaps and solve the needs of our clients.”
As a black woman in a technology leadership role, Eguono believes diverse and gender-balanced representation in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields is gradually increasing. She recognizes CIBC is making progress in its effort towards inclusion and diversity.