The board of Polaris Bank Limited, the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria, and the bank’s shareholders have appointed Mr Innocent Ike as the acting managing director/ chief executive officer of the bank effective September 1, 2020.
The bank’s Company Secretary, Babatunde Osibodu, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Polaris Bank announces the appointment of Innocent C. Ike as acting managing director/CEO,’ on Saturday.
It stated that the outgoing Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Polaris Bank Limited, Mr Tokunbo Abiru, will be proceeding on his retirement, having successfully completed his two terms of two years each, first as group managing director/CEO, Skye Bank Plc and managing director/CEO Polaris Bank Limited.
This takes effect from 31 August 2020, the bank said.
Recall that Newsclickng.com had earlier predicted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will likely decide on internal succession and in that process pick either Innocent Ike or Abdullahi S. Mohammed as Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officers having been Executive Directors of the bank.
Polaris stated that the incoming acting managing director was until now the executive director, technology & services while also overseeing the South-South/South East directorate of the bank.
The bank said he had been a pivotal part of the bank since July 2016, and a major driver of the corporate transformation journey.
“This gives an assurance of continuity: a definite continuation of the strategic plans and initiatives that brought the bank the successes it has recorded till date,” it added.
The statement said, “Ike has garnered over three decades’ professional experience in the banking industry.
“He is a graduate of accounting from the University of Lagos, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, a certified IFRS expert and an honorary senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.
“He holds an executive certificate in strategy & innovation from MIT Sloan School of Management; Boston and he is also a member of Institute of Directors.”
