By Fola James
Fidelity Bank Plc has appointed three non-executive directors as part of the ongoing restructuring in the retail lender, in line with its vision to remain as one of the top banks in the country.
The managing director of the bank, Nnandi Okonkwo is expected to retire by the end of the year, paving the way for Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe to take over the affairs of the new generation bank by January 1, 2021.
The Deposit Money Bank, DMB said in statement on Monday, that the new appointees will replace three directors retiring from the bank.
Those appointed include Amaka Theodora Onwughalu, Nelson Chidozie Nweke, and Chinedu Eric Okeke, the bank said.
Onwughalu, a former deputy managing director of Skye Bank, has more than 30 years’ banking experience including over 10 years in Executive Management in various financial institutions. She has crisscrossed Commercial Banking, Retail Banking, Treasury Management, Banking Operations, and Corporate Banking. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Blueshield Financial Services Limited.
She holds a BSc Degree in Economics from the University of Buckingham, an MSc Degree in Corporate Governance from Leeds Metropolitan University, United Kingdom and an MBA from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
She attended the Executive Business School, INSEAD, France; IMD Business School, Lausanne, Switzerland; Judge Business School, University of Cambridge; and Columbia Business School, USA, and currently a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Internal Auditors of Nigeria; a Fellow of the Institute of Credit Administration (ICA); a Member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM); an Honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IoD).
She is also Paul Harris Fellow and recipient of various prestigious awards including the National Merit Award for Accountability and Transparency (NMAT), the Award of Excellence and Distinction for Financial Management (AEDFM) and the Vocational Service Award (VSA) from the Rotary Club, Enugu.
Nweke, on his part currently serves as the Managing Director of Neilville Nigeria Limited and had an extensive career in the financial services sector. He rose to the position of Executive Director at legacy Intercontinental Bank Plc. His banking industry experience covers Operations, Public Sector, Corporate Services, and Human Resources Administration.
He holds a Bsc. in Political Science and an MSc. in Industrial and Labour Relations, both from the University of Ibadan and has attended various executive development programs at world-class business schools including INSEAD, France; IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland; and Harvard Business School amongst others. He is an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Member Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) and the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM).
He served as a Non-Executive Director of Premium Pension Limited and was a member of the Governing Council of Anambra State Investment Promotion and Protection Agency between 2014 and 2018. He is presently an Independent Non-Executive Director at Berger Paints PLC.
Okeke is the Managing Director of Azura Power West Africa Limited, an infrastructure development and operating company with a special focus on emerging markets in Africa, including Nigeria. Prior to joining Azura in 2014, Okeke had a stellar career spanning over 19 years in a succession of blue-chip companies including Guinness Nigeria Plc, Lafarge Plc, Schlumberger Oilfield Services, and General Electric (GE).
He has held executive and senior management positions in various climes, with direct responsibility for teams of diverse and multicultural professionals and demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic client relationships and deliver quality results under complex conditions. He holds a B.Eng. Degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and an MBA from Imperial College, London.
He has attended executive training programs at various premier institutions including Gordon Institute of Business Science, South Africa; INSEAD, France; Graduate School of Business, Stanford, USA, College of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA and GE John F. Welch Leadership Development Centre, USA.
Commenting on the appointments, the bank’s chairman, Mustafa Chike-Obi, said: “We are very delighted to welcome the newly appointed Directors to the Fidelity family. These appointments end the on-going board realignment, occasioned by the retirements that had to happen, in line with our governance policies. We look forward to leveraging on the multi-disciplinary experiences of Amaka, Nelson and Chinedu in executing the next growth phase of Fidelity Bank”.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has approved the appointments of Onwughalu and Nweke while that of Okeke is awaiting approval from the apex bank.
