UBA, Africa’s Global Bank, Appoints First Female CEO, Abiola Bawuah. Bawuah will lead UBA Africa and serve as Executive Director on the Group Board, overseeing the bank’s operations across the African continent outside of Nigeria. UBA operates in 19 African countries as well as in New York, London, Paris, and the UAE.
Bawuah, a Ghanaian national, represents UBA’s commitment to diversity. The Group Board now has eight female Directors. Bawuah previously served as Regional CEO for West Africa, managing operations in nine subsidiaries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. She was also the CEO of UBA Ghana.
Tony Elumelu, Group Board Chairman, praised the appointment: “Abiola has been a driving force in UBA Africa’s growth for nearly a decade, with extensive experience in commercial banking and stakeholder engagement. I am also delighted that her appointment makes the UBA Group Board majority female.”
UBA Group also announced the following executive positions: Chris Ofikulu becomes Regional CEO for UBA West Africa with over 20 years of experience in corporate, commercial, and retail banking.
Uzoechina Molokwu was appointed as Deputy Managing Director of UBA Ghana, subject to local regulatory approval. With over 23 years of banking experience, he previously served as Executive Director of Business Development for UBA Côte d’Ivoire.
Ayokunle Olajubu named Managing Director/CEO of UBA Liberia, pending local regulatory approval. Olajubu, with 30 years of banking experience in Nigeria and other African countries such as Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, and The Gambia, currently oversees compliance across African subsidiaries.
Theresa Henshaw was named CEO of UBA UK, pending local regulatory approval. She previously served as Deputy Managing Director of Business Development at UBA America and held the position of Executive Director of Business Development at UBA UK.
Usman Isiaka, the current CEO of UBA Sierra Leone, will become Deputy CEO of UBA America, pending local regulatory approval.
Adeyemi Adeleke, former CEO of UBA UK, named Group Treasurer. He will focus on unlocking value in UBA’s multi-jurisdictional balance sheet, utilizing the group’s presence in 24 countries in and outside Africa.
UBA announces the retirement of Samuel Oni, an independent non-executive Director, after serving on the board for 8 years, following the end of his tenure.
The UBA Group Chairman, Mr. Elumelu, expressed gratitude to Samuel Oni for his dedication, guidance, and substantial contributions to the UBA Group. He wished Oni the best in his future endeavors.
United Bank for Africa, Africa’s Global Bank, operates in 20 African countries, the UK, the US, France, and UAE, offering retail, commercial and institutional banking services, promoting financial inclusion, and implementing innovative technology. With 25,000 employees and serving over 37 million customers worldwide, UBA is one of the largest financial sector employers on the African continent.
Source: Premium Times