Her Story
About Funmi
Dr. Funmi Ajayi, PhD, FCP, FIST, is an accomplished clinical pharmacologist, biopharmaceutics consultant, and pharmaceutical research leader with more than three decades of experience advancing drug development, regulatory science, and clinical research. Following her academic training at the University of Ibadan, where she earned both a Master's degree and a PhD in Pharmacology and later served as a lecturer, she continued her scientific career as a National Research Council Research Fellow at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research before spending more than a decade at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). There, she led regulatory reviews, contributed to the development of regulatory guidance documents, and held multiple scientific leadership roles. Dr. Ajayi later joined Procter & Gamble, where she spent nearly fourteen years leading global clinical science initiatives across pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter medicines, oral care, personal healthcare, and consumer products. Her leadership encompassed clinical strategy, safety surveillance, governance, regulatory compliance, data management, and cross-functional scientific collaboration. Following her corporate career, she founded Annesway Group, LLC, where she provided strategic consulting to pharmaceutical companies on clinical pharmacology, biopharmaceutics, regulatory submissions, and innovative drug development strategies. Throughout her distinguished career, she has been recognized with numerous honors, including the FDA Outstanding Service Award, the CDER Director's Special Citation, the Procter & Gamble Sharon Mitchell Glass Breaking Award, and the Community Beacon Award. Now retired from full-time industry leadership, Dr. Ajayi continues to make a lasting impact through consulting, mentoring, education, and philanthropy. She serves on the Board of Directors of United Way of Warren County, Ohio, remains active in several prestigious professional organizations, and continues teaching graduate students in drug development as an adjunct professor. She founded and leads SamDeb Ebenezer Ministry, Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting orphanages, schools, and underserved communities through capacity & capability building for youth development initiatives. She is also heavily involved with Agape Love Mission Foundation, a nonprofit organization that takes medical missions to Nigeria annually. Guided by unwavering faith, integrity, and a lifelong commitment to developing others, Dr. Ajayi continues to inspire future generations of healthcare and pharmaceutical professionals through both her leadership and service.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Funmi
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my faith in God and my commitment to lifelong learning. Throughout my career, I have relied on biblical principles to guide my decisions, while continually expanding my knowledge and expertise. My faith has provided the foundation for my integrity, perseverance, and purpose, enabling me to overcome challenges and remain focused on serving others through my work and leadership.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received came from one of my university professors, who encouraged me to keep working, researching, and moving forward regardless of the obstacles I encountered. That advice taught me the importance of perseverance, resilience, and maintaining focus on long-term goals, even when progress seems difficult or uncertain.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I encourage young women, particularly those entering male-dominated fields, to focus on mastering the knowledge that is most critical to their work. Understand the difference between what is essential and what is simply beneficial so you can contribute confidently and effectively. Be concise, communicate your priorities clearly, and trust the value of your expertise. When you are well prepared and speak with confidence, your voice will be heard and respected.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges in clinical research is that promising drug candidates often fail to demonstrate sufficient effectiveness during larger clinical trials, despite years of scientific effort and investment. While these setbacks can be discouraging, they are an inherent part of advancing medical science. At the same time, the emergence of state of the art scientific tools for analyzing and understanding physiologic and genetic differences coupled with specialized data analysis tools have created exciting opportunities for personalized medicine, particularly in cancer treatment, allowing therapies to become more targeted, effective, and patient-centered than ever before.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I believe integrity is essential in every aspect of life, and I strive to ensure that my actions consistently reflect my values. I am passionate about developing people by mentoring and equipping others to achieve their full potential. My faith remains the cornerstone of both my personal and professional life, providing the principles that guide my leadership, decision-making, and commitment to serving others with excellence.
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