Access Holdings Plc has appointed Innocent Ike as its substantive group managing director/chief executive officer, effective August 29.
The appointment follows regulatory approval.
Mr. Ike succeeds Bolaji Agbede, who has served as acting group managing director/chief executive officer for 18 months.
Ms. Agbede will return to her position as executive director, business support.
She stepped into the acting role after the death of the former Group CEO, Herbert Wigwe, in February 2024.
In a statement signed and released on Wednesday by the company secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, the board highlighted some of Agbede’s contributions, including overseeing the company’s N351 billion rights issue, hosting two Annual General Meetings and ensuring workforce stability.
Commenting on the change, chairman of Access Holdings, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, expressed appreciation to Agbede and welcomed Ike.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Innocent Ike as we move forward. At the same time, we want to express our deepest gratitude to Ms. Bolaji Agbede. Her contributions over the past 18 months have been invaluable, and we appreciate her dedication in navigating the Company through challenges and opportunities,” he said.
Mr. Ike has over 30 years of experience in the financial services sector.
He graduated from the University of Lagos and is a fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).
He previously served as managing director/CEO of Polaris Bank from 2020 to 2022, during which the lender launched its digital banking platform, VULTe.
Reacting to his appointment, Ike said, “I am honoured to take on the role of Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and excited to work alongside the talented team at Access Holdings. I look forward to building on the strong legacy established by Herbert Wigwe and Bolaji Agbede, and driving our vision forward, ensuring we continue to deliver value to our shareholders and stakeholders.”
The appointment comes hours after Access Holdings announced the resignation of Roosevelt Ogbonna from its board.
Mr Ogbonna served as a non-executive director for three and a half years.
