By InvestAdvocate
Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-The Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN) on Thursday approved the appointment of four (4) new directors of Wema Bank Plc, the lender said in an issuer’s announcement with the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE).
The names of the directors include Wole Akinleye and Folake Sanu as executive directors; while Babatunde Oladele Kasali and Abolanle Matel-Okoh were appointed non-executive directors.
According to the mid-tier lender, Akinleye is a consummate banker with twenty- four (24) years of cognate banking and finance experience. He started his banking career with then Chartered Bank Ltd as branch operations officer in 1990.
While in Chartered Bank, he was at various times credit analysis and branch manager at several locations of the bank and rose to become an assistant general manager/regional head, South West of the bank responsible for business developments both in commercial banking and public sector.
“In 2008, he joined the Stanbic IBTC and was appointed group head, business development, Lagos,’ the lender added.
Wema Bank says in 2009, Akinleye with a team of other professionals and tested bankers took up the management of Wema Bank Plc to reposition the bank.
He is a fellow of the prestigious Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), he obtained his first degree in Accounting from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1989 and MBA, Finance from the same University. He is also an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Akinleye is currently the general manager supervising Wema Bank’s business activities in Lagos and is also on the board of Eagle Package Ltd representing the interest of Wema Bank Plc.
On her part, Wema Bank affirms that Sanu, executive director is an astute finance professional and banker of repute with over 32 years of working experience of which 20 years was at executive and seniour management level in commercial banks. She is a seasoned banker with wide experience in corporate strategy, financial control, operations and technology, risk management, audit, mergers and acquisitions, credit and marketing.
According to the mid-tier lender, she started her professional career with Peat Marwick Ani Ogunde & Co (Chartered Accountants) in 1981 as a trainee accountant and rose to become an assistant manager and upon joining the Universal Trust Bank Ltd between 1991 to 1992, “she became a manager strategic planning and budgetary control,’ the bank said.
Also, Sanu worked with Magnum Trust Bank Plc from May 1992 to December 2005. Joining as a seniour manager, she occupied several key positions before moving to Sterling Bank in January 2006.
At Sterling Bank, she became the general manager and group head, branch network operations with responsibility of reporting to the executive director operations and general services among others.
She became the general manager (chief financial officer) and group head, financial control, strategic planning & corporate development between July 2007 to May 2009 and from June 2009 to April 2011, Sanu rose to become the GM and regional marketing head, Lagos Region 1.
“In 2011, she became the GM operations and chief compliance officer (CCO) and in 2012 she set up a consulting firm, JFSC Consulting as the principal consultant. In October 2013, she merged with three other consulting firms to form Averti Professional Managers,” Wema Bank affirmed.
Sanu obtained her HND in accountancy from Kwara State College of Technology. She is also an Alumnus of the prestigious London Business School. Folake is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and an honorary seniour member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
While Matel-Okoh appointed non-executive director is an attorney with experience in diverse areas of judicial science encompassing legal research, investigation, adjudication of clients’ claims, and transaction of clients’ business. She holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from Ogun State University, Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria and attended the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1990. She is also a licensed real estate agent from Weichert Real Estate School, New Jersey, USA (2002).
His professional career started with United Commercial Bank from 1992-1993 as a legal officer and joined the law firm of Femi Atoyebi (SAN), Lagos as an attorney (1993-1996). From 1997-1999 he moved to Sontan & Sintan, Bowie law firm as legal assistant.
Matel-Okoh became a contract attorney with Seeger Weiss LLP, New York (1999-2002), McCarter and English LLP, Newark, NJ (2008-2010) and a sales agent with Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Monroe, NJ.
Wema Bank says he is a member of New York State Appellate Division, Third Department and presently the chief executive officer Havilah Ventures Ltd, Lagos Nigeria.
Kasali appointed non-executive director holds a B.Sc. in Economics (Second Class Upper) from Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. He is an FCA (Fellow Chartered Accountant).
In the same vein, Kasali started his working career as an audit trainee with Arthur Young McClelland Moores & Co. United Kingdom where he was from 1977 – 1979 before joining Amex Bank Plc United Kingdom as a treasury officer from 1979 – 1980.
Other notable places he has worked include: Arthur Young & Co., Nigeria – (1980 – 1981) NYSC (audit seniour), Ernst & Young, Nigeria – audit supervisor (1982-1984), resident principal manager (1985-1995) and United Bank for Africa Plc as assistant chief inspector (1996-1999), deputy chief inspector (2000-2001).
Others are chief inspector (2001-2005), regional director (2005-2006), divisional director (April 2006-December 2006) and regional bank head (2007-2008) and managing partner with Babs Kasali & Co., a financial and management consultants (2008 – 2012).
The lender says Kasali, is presently the MD, Resolution and Restructuring Limited (A subsidiary of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria). “He has attended several professional courses both within and outside Nigeria,” Wema Bank affirmed.
