The Moneris Mosaic Features Ona Egolum

In this feature of The Moneris Mosaic we shine a spotlight on Ona Egolum (She/her). 

This month, Ana Jaramillo (she/her) from The Moneris Mosaic team sat down with Ona to learn more about her story and role at Moneris. Read on to learn more about how Ona’s education, participation in organizational peer support and mentorship programs, and her connection to the community have helped shape her professional journey to date. 

Ona is a consultant in the Business Transformation Office at Moneris, a role she has held for just under 2 years. Originally from Nigeria, Ona recently moved to Canada to explore new opportunities, bringing with her over a decade of experience in the banking industry in the areas of customer service, relationship management, and enterprise innovation. Ona's educational background includes a degree in Economics and a Master's in Business Administration, which she credits as instrumental in her current role. "The MBA, especially the elective courses I took in strategy, have been incredibly helpful," Ona shares, "It's  enhanced my ability to identify opportunities and recommend practical solutions to address them head-on." In her role at Moneris, Ona supports teams by developing end-to-end process and customer journey maps, identifying pain points, user experience gaps and their impacts, she works closely with teams to assess these impacts, establish key metrics and recommend prioritized solutions that guide the overall roadmap for future state journeys.  Ona notes that while there was a learning curve in transitioning to the payments industry, having a supportive team and an amazing leader has been vital in getting her up to speed and making her feel a sense of belonging. 
  

For Ona, finding and building community has always been an integral part of her approach to career development, and she shared that the programs that she has been particularly passionate about at Moneris have been her involvement in both the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Mentorship Program, as well as her work with the Black Employee Network (BEN).  "I was inspired to get involved because I wanted that sense of community with people I could relate to," Ona explained. "The network fostered a genuine sense of engagement, and I could see the initiatives were truly making an impact." 

This is also not the first time Ona has been involved in such initiatives and highlighted how much there is to be gained by being an active participant on both sides of a mentoring relationship.  As we chatted, Ona reflected on her experience being mentored in Nigeria, and later serving as a mentor during her MBA program and shared how "Being on both sides of the mentorship experience has really helped me understand the value it provides”. She had some good advice for mentees as well, “As a mentee, I've learned to be more open and specific about my goals and challenges, which has allowed me to get more tailored guidance and support."  and shared how her mentor at Moneris has been a positive influence in her professional development, helping her build confidence, nurturing a sense of relentlessness and allowing her to learn from their wealth of experience. She shared how it warmed her heart to see her mentor demonstrate a sincere commitment to the program.  "My mentor has been so open about sharing his own failures and successes," Ona explained. "It's allowed me to apply those lessons to my own relationships and approach challenges more effectively." 

To close out our conversation, Ona had some valuable advice to share for those considering getting involved in a mentorship program, "Be open-minded, set clear goals, and don't be afraid to communicate your needs. The more you put into the relationship, the more you'll get out of it." She also emphasized the importance of regular check-ins to ensure the mentorship is on track. 

Ona's journey of navigating new horizons and embracing the power of mentorship is an inspiring testament to the transformative impact that these organizational programs can have, and we hope Ona's story serves as a reminder of the immense value in seeking out guidance, learning from others, and in paying it forward.

About The Moneris Mosaic

The Moneris Mosaic is an employee spotlight program that celebrates the stories of the people who make Moneris truly special. Just like a beautiful mosaic, this program brings together a variety of unique and colorful stories, coming together to create one inspiring image of our Moneris team.

Check back here next month when we feature another Moneris employee on The Moneris Mosaic!