Access Bank Gets New Board Chairman

Access Holdings Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chairman of the board of Directors of Access Bank Plc.

Osime was appointed following the exit of Paul Usoro, who completed his term past January, the bank said in a statement on Tuesday, signed the Company’s secretary, Sunday Ekwochi.

According to the statement, Osime, is bringing on board vast experience as a lawyer and corporate governance strategist.

Before her current appointment, she was first appointed to the board of Access Bank in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director, the company said.

Part of the statement read: “Prior to her recent appointment, she served as chairman of the board human resources and sustainability committee, as well as the board governance nomination and remuneration committee, making significant contributions to governance, leadership development, and sustainability.

“She also served on several other board committees.

“In addition, she is a director at Ebudo Trust Limited and a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial legal matters, and contributes to the firm’s leadership and strategic direction.

“Her previous board experience includes serving as an independent non-executive director of Coronation Insurance Plc, board chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Ltd and non-executive director, Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank Limited).”

Osime’s CV

According to the statement, Osime is a law graduate of the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.

She began her career at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation and later joined African Development Insurance Company Limited (now NSIA Insurance) as company secretary and assistant general manager, administration and legal.

“She holds a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law from the London School of Economics and has attended executive education programmes at INSEAD, IMD, Harvard Business School, MIT, and Stanford, among others, reflecting her commitment to continuous professional development and global best practices,” the bank said.

Commenting on the appointment, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, group chairman of Access Holdings, described Osime as “a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the bank’s strategy and values”.