By Yakubu LAAH InvestAdvocate
Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Pan African lender, Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), on Wednesday named four (4) new non-executive directors on its 15-member board, and the retirement of one non-executive director, the company said an issuers notice to the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
ETI says the new board members are Dolika Banda of Zambia, Graham Dempster of South Africa, Sheila Mmbijjewe of Kenya, and Alain Nkontchou of Cameroon. ‘’These new board members collectively will bring 120 years of experience in banking and finance to the leadership of the world’s largest pan-African bank,’’ it added.
The Bank said Banda (Zambia) 51, is an economist and communicator on the African economy. Banda is an independent consultant and advisor to such clients as the United Nations, Rockefeller Foundation, the Gates Foundation and several governments.
Also, Banda is a former advisor and director at the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she worked for 16 years. She held seniour positions at Barclays Bank Zambia and Citibank Zambia.
The lender affirmed she was recognised with a prize for vision and courage by Africa Femmes Performantes (Africa’s Performing Women) in Washington, DC in 2012.
On his part, Dempster (South Africa) 59, has over 30 years banking experience and has held various seniour executive positions within the Nedbank Group, including general manager and joint head of UAL Merchant Bank’s Special Finance Division, head of Nedbank’s International Division and managing director of Nedbank Corporate.
According to Ecobank, he has been chief operating officer of Nedbank Group since August 2009, and joint chairman – along with current Ecobank Group CEO Albert Essien – of the Ecobank Nedbank strategic alliance committee since its inception in 2008. ‘’he is well recognised as a driver of talent and a champion of diversity,’’ the lender disclosed.
Another appointment is that of Sheila Mmbijjewe (Kenya) 56, she is a chartered accountant (England and Wales) and certified public accountant (Kenya).
She is a former finance director at Pricewaterhouse Kenya, Stagecoach International and Standard Chartered Bank of Kenya. Until early 2014, she was also a member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Central Bank of Kenya.
Mmbijjewe’s board experience includes directorships on the boards of Transparency International Kenya Chapter, the University of Nairobi Science & Technology Park, and Capital Markets of Kenya.
Also, she has been vice Chair of the Kenya Women’s Finance Trust. In 1999, Sheila became the first woman to be appointed as an executive director of a publicly quoted commercial bank in Kenya.
The last on the lists of appointees is Alain Nkontchou (Cameroon) 51, is managing partner of Enko Capital Management LLP, London, an asset management company focusing mostly on African investment opportunities.
He was previously managing director, Global Macro Trading Group at Credit Suisse, London, and at JP Morgan Chase & Co. London.
Nkontchou has advanced degrees in Electrical Engineering and Finance and Accounting. He has a track record of having generated tens of millions of dollars in revenue for the companies with which he has worked. ‘’He will formally join the ETI Board in June 2015,’’ the pan African lender disclosed.
In the same vein, ETI said following the sale of Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) shares in the bank, Hewett Benson has retired as a non-executive director, representing AMCON on the board.
‘’The board membership of the new directors will be presented for ratification by shareholders at the next annual general meeting in 2015,’’ ETI said.
At the end of the session on Wednesday share price of the bank gained 0.09 kobo as it opened N17.56 compared to N17.65
