Access Holdings Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chairman of the board of Access Bank Plc, its flagship subsidiary.
Osime’s appointment follows the retirement of Paul Usoro, according to a statement on Tuesday by Sunday Ekwochi, company secretary.
Usoro was said to have retired on January 29 after completing his regulatory tenure limit.
The company said Osime, a legal practitioner with extensive experience in corporate governance and strategic leadership, was first appointed to the board of Access Bank in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director.
“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,” the statement reads.
“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).”
Access Holding said Osime 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.
According to the statement, Osime is a law graduate of the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.
“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 statement added.
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”.
He expressed confidence that under her leadership, Access Bank would continue to deliver sustainable value to shareholders and stakeholders in line with its vision of becoming the world’s most respected African bank.
Aig-Imoukhuede also congratulated Usoro on the completion of his tenure, praising his leadership and contribution to the group.
