Oct. 11, 2022 — For Aigi Adesogan, her career in human resources started as a happy accident.

Originally an attorney, she spent five years practicing in her native Nigeria before joining her husband in England as he pursued a doctoral degree. She planned to eventually retake the bar exam to be qualified to practice law in the U.K., but new to her surroundings and in need of work, she tried a few different roles before going to a job center and seeing a posting for a personnel officer. Thinking it sounded interesting, she applied and hoped for the best.

Fast forward 25 years, and Adesogan will say she found her calling in human resources. Her service-minded perspective, passion for people and knowledge of contract law and fundamental principles of employment law laid a solid foundation for her second career. She went on to obtain a formal certification in human resource management and held multiple roles in the field. After moving to Gainesville with her family in 2001, she joined the University of Florida family, first in the university’s central human resources office and then in student services.

Adesogan now brings her wealth of experience and expertise to the College of Medicine as its new associate director for human resources, a role she began Sept. 23.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know the college and its people,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to work in a different and dynamic industry. I’ve heard about how the college is moving forward, and when I look at the pillars of the dean’s strategic plan, there are things I can relate to. For example, diversity, equity and inclusion is something I’m passionate about — I was the diversity liaison for my division in my previous role — and when I hear people speaking that language, it’s attractive to me. I’m excited to be part of this journey.”

In her new role, Adesogan will lead a team of seven, handling everything from talent acquisition to overseeing the human resources business partners who support the units within the college.

“I know Aigi’s experience and leadership abilities will assist our unit in advancing our college in support of the strategic vision Dean Koch has developed,” said Kevin Clarke, Ed.D., director of human resources for the College of Medicine.

Prior to joining the college, Adesogan most recently served as an assistant vice president with the UF Division of Enrollment Management, where she oversaw its staff and fiscal needs, operations support and communications. She also led the implementation of the division’s shared services unit to provide centralized fiscal and human resources service and spearheaded the launch of OneStop, which integrated the front-line services of the registrar, admissions, student financial aid and bursar to improve the student experience and provide a streamlined hub for enrollment.

In her various roles in human resources, Adesogan has tapped into her background as an attorney countless times, often becoming the go-to contact for colleagues with questions about compliance and laws such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, liaising with the general counsel’s office and more.

When she’s not serving colleagues at work, Adesogan can be found traveling to Nigeria to visit family, spending time with her husband, Adegbola Adesogan, Ph.D., the director of the Global Food Systems Institute at UF/IFAS, and keeping in touch with her daughters, both UF graduates.

She and her husband also take time to host international students and colleagues for potluck meals, as they understand firsthand the challenges of being far from home and prioritize making people feel welcome.

“I try to extend hospitality in my work in the same way,” Adesogan said. “It’s simple — it’s just loving people where they are and having an open door. Human resources is about recognizing what your clients need and assisting them in getting where they need to be. Employee engagement is the latest buzzword out there, but if you don’t care about people, it’s just smoke; they will see through that. The most important thing is serving people.”