Sharon Mwebaze Ashaba is a forty-three-year-old married woman and a proud mother of six—five biological children, and one adopted child. Her life reflects a journey of resilience, discipline, and determination shaped by responsibility from a young age. As the firstborn, she grew up fending for herself and her siblings, cultivating a strength of character that continues to define her personal and professional pursuits.
Sharon has been in legal practice as an Advocate for fifteen years, with thirteen of those years dedicated to serving as an in-house counsel. She is a Certified/Chartered Secretary and Corporate Governance Professional. She holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing a professional qualification as a Chartered Secretary and Governance Professional. She is also a mentored Company Secretary, having successfully completed the Company Secretary Mentorship Program.
In addition to her legal and governance work, Sharon serves as the Board Chairperson of an organization and the Board Secretary of God’s Fortress Ministries (GFM). She currently works with Centenary Bank as the Legal Manager – Contractual Arrangements, a role she has held since joining the Bank in 2017 as a Senior Legal Officer, transitioning from Finance Trust Bank.
Her rise through the ranks at Centenary Bank reflects her consistent hard work, passion, and excellent attitude toward service. Sharon takes pride in her unconventional academic and professional journey. She began with a Diploma in Law, progressed to her LLB, and later pursued her Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice at the Law Development Centre—completing all these studies as a self-sponsored student starting at the age of nineteen.
Her commitment to self-improvement originated from an unconducive upbringing and the need to build a better life. Inspired by her father, who, despite being illiterate, was an enterprising man, Sharon began her own business journey at the age of twenty. What started as a modest initiative has grown stronger over the past fifteen years, offering a testament to the power of humble beginnings, focus, and perseverance.
Sharon is widely known for her work ethic—she is self-driven, reliable, detail-oriented, efficient, and collaborative. She excels at multitasking and is both proactive and solutions-oriented. She consistently positions herself ahead of assigned tasks, demonstrating initiative and a strong sense of responsibility. Sharon is especially effective at applying diverse legal strategies and concepts to support and elevate business goals.
She maintains a firm stance on productivity and accountability. Sharon is not interested in excuses; she values execution, timely delivery, and solutions that support the business. She firmly believes that the modern role of legal professionals is to enable business operations while effectively managing risks, particularly legal risks, rather than hindering progress.
Sharon has invested significantly in knowledge acquisition to enhance her capacity to deliver meaningful results. She has a successful record of managing teams as a unit head within the legal division of a major financial institution. She is highly collaborative and fosters strong working relationships, with a particular strength in staff development and training.
Professionally, Sharon has specialized in the banking sector, spending the majority of her career within financial institutions. During her time at Finance Trust Bank, she achieved several milestones:
- She was part of the transformative team that transitioned Finance Trust Bank from an MDI to the fully-fledged and successful commercial bank it is today.
- She developed the Legal Procedure Manual, which remains in use—with amendments—to date.
- She created the Legal Credit Cases Checklist Framework, which has continued to guide the Bank’s operations to this day.
In her current role at Centenary Bank, Sharon has made significant contributions:
- She oversees the Bank’s Contractual Arrangements Unit, where, for the past six years, she has negotiated, drafted, reviewed, and revised a wide range of contracts, including high-value finance agreements, IT contracts, and large loan agreements.
- She provides legal advisory support to over 80 branches and 15 head office divisions.
- She serves on several committees at both Board and Management levels, offering critical legal guidance.
- She has contributed to major institutional projects, including the Product Development Project, which resulted in the Bank’s mobile banking services.
- She was part of the E-Switch Project team.
- She served as a champion for the Culture Transformation Project and the Process Re-engineering Project.
- She contributed to the Core Banking Project team.
Over the years, Sharon has cultivated a wide range of skills, including leadership, interpersonal
communication, mentorship, negotiation, and contract drafting. Her journey reflects unwavering
dedication to growth, service, and excellence, making her an exceptional professional and a
respected leader in her field.
Journey to the Boardroom is shaping a new generation of board-ready leaders through mentorship, structured learning, and exposure to governance practices. Its mission is to promote inclusivity, unlock professional talent, and encourage long-term leadership continuity.
