GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO

Dr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu was appointed Group Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc on the 1st of June 2019. He is a seasoned banker and an astute financial strategist with over three decades of banking experience. He is an alumnus of Auchi Polytechnic, Delta State University Nigeria, the University of Oxford, England and Salford Business School, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom. At the University of Oxford, he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Strategy and a certificate in Macroeconomics while he received a Masters Degree in Financial Services Management from the University of Salford. He also holds an MBA from Delta State University, Abraka. He undertook extensive executive-level education in Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School of Columbia University, the Harvard Business School of Harvard University in the United States. In March 2023, the University of Nigeria, Nsukka – Nigeria’s first indigenous university, honoured him with the Doctor of Business Administration degree during the 50th convocation ceremony of the university.

Before joining Zenith Bank Plc, he worked at Citizens International Bank Limited between 1991 and 2002. He joined Zenith Bank Plc in 2002 as a Senior Manager in the Internal Control and Audit Group of the bank. His professionalism, competence, integrity and commitment to the objectives of the bank saw him rise swiftly between 2003 and 2005, first, as Assistant General Manager, then Deputy General Manager, and eventually, General Manager of the bank. In these capacities, he handled strategies for new business and branch development, management of risk assets portfolios, treasury functions, strategic top level corporate, multinationals and public institutional relationships, among others. He was appointed Executive Director of the bank in 2013, responsible for Lagos and South-South Zones as well as strategic groups/business units of the bank, including Financial Control & Strategic Planning, Treasury & Correspondent Groups, Human Resources Group, Oil & Gas Group, and Credit Risk Management Group.

Dr. Onyeagwu was named Deputy Managing Director of the bank in 2016. In that capacity, he deputised for the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with direct oversight of the bank’s Financial Control and Strategic Planning, Risk Management, Retail Banking, Institutional and Corporate Banking Portfolios, Information Technology Group, Credit Administration, and Treasury & Foreign Exchange Trading. Dr Onyeagwu is the Chairman of Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited and Zenith Nominees Limited. He is also on the Board of Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, FMDQ Holdings Plc and Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). Dr. Onyeagwu is a member of the International Monetary Conference (IMC), Wall Street Journal CEO Council, and member of the African Trade Gateway Advisory Council of the Africa Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank). He also served on the board of Zenith Bank Ghana Limited, Zenith General Insurance, Zenith Securities Limited, Zenith Assets Management Company, Zenith Medicare Limited, and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).

Dr. Onyeagwu is a Fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), Institute of Credit Administrators (ICA) and Senior Associate Member, Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (RIMAN).

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dr. Temitope Fasoranti is a seasoned banker with over three decades of experience in the Nigerian financial services industry. He is an alumnus of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics (1988), a Master’s Degree in Economics (1991) and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) in Economics.

He has also received executive-level education and attended several international courses and programmes, including Changing The Game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision Making (Harvard Business School), Creating and Leading High-Performance Teams (The Wharton School, Pennsylvania, USA), and Developing Strategy for Value Creation (London Business School).

He worked in FBN Merchant Bankers from 1991 to 1997 before joining Zenith Bank in 1997. Prior to his appointment as Executive Director in December 2017, he was a General Manager/Group Zonal Head overseeing several branches and zones in Lagos State, including Ikeja Zone, Apapa Zone, Ilupeju Zone, and South-West region. He also served as the Group Head of strategic business units in the head office, including Oil & Gas, Conglomerate Group, and Agriculture Desk.

Dr. Fasoranti’s experience spans Treasury Management, Corporate Finance, Corporate Banking, Risk Management and Retail Banking. He is also vastly experienced in managing Fintech relationships, with competences in cards, electronic banking and payment systems.

Dr. Fasoranti is a member of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), the Institute of Credit Administration, and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

He sits on the board of Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mrs. Adobi Stella Nwapa comes to the board with over thirty years’ cognate experience in banking, being a pioneer staff of the Bank since 1990. She possesses robust institutional memory and background, honed from the bank’s foundation as the pioneer customer service officer.

She has held several senior management positions in the Bank, including business development and branch and zonal management, and treasury. Until her appointment as Executive Director, she was General Manager and Group Zonal Head of Ikoyi Zone as well as Group Head of Diaspora Banking.

Mrs. Nwapa holds a Bachelor’s Degree (BA) in History from Imo State University, a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from Strayer University, Houston-Texas, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from Jack Welch Management Institute and an honorary doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from Abia State University.

She has attended several local and international courses and programmes, including Leading Change and Organisational Renewal (Harvard Business School), Key Executive Programme (Harvard Business School), World Finance/Winning Negotiation Strategies (HSM Americas), Developing Strategies for Value Creation (London Business School) and the Senior Management Programme (Lagos Business School).

She is a Fellow of several institutes, including the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC), the Institute of Credit Administration (ICA), the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (ICMA) and the Institute of Management Specialists (IMS), United Kingdom. She is also a member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (HCIB).

CHIEF RISK OFFICER

Mr. Felix Egbon is the Chief Risk Officer of the bank. He is a General Manager (GM) and currently the Group Head, Risk Management Group of the bank.

He participated in the establishment of a robust Risk Management function in the bank.

Mr. Egbon joined the services of the bank in May 2006 with responsibility for branch coordination and subsequently Internal Control and Audit and was responsible for review and enforcement of the bank’s procedures, controls and policies in branches bankwide.

He is a fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), honorary member, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Senior member, Risk Management Association of Nigeria.

Prior to his engagement with Zenith Bank, he had worked with Pricewaterhouse Cooppers as Audit Senior, Auditing and Business Advisory Services; United Bank for Africa Plc as the Principal Manager in charge of branch coordination, internal control and Audit responsible for review and enforcement of procedures, controls and policies in the bank branches.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Dr. Mukhtar Adam is a distinguished finance professional with over two decades of cognate experience. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Finance from Leeds Beckett University, an M.Sc. in Finance - Financial Sector Management from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, an MBA in Finance from the University of Leicester, and a B.Ed. in Social Sciences, specialising in Economics and Management, from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Dr. Mukhtar Adam also holds a Diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from the esteemed Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Banking and Insurance from the Institute of Islamic Banking and Insurance in the UK.

Dr. Mukhtar Adam is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School School (Advanced Management Program - AMP) and Wharton Business School (General Management Program – GMP).  He has also participated in several executive programmes at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and INSEAD Business School. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana (ICAG), and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).

Prior to his current role as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Zenith Bank Plc, Dr. Mukhtar Adam served as the bank’s Deputy CFO, leading the Financial Reporting, Tax Management and Strategic Planning Groups and supervising the Zenith Group’s entire financial reporting function. Before joining Zenith Bank in 2007, he honed his skills as a Senior Consultant in the Financial Services Group of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

His vast expertise spans numerous financial areas, from financial sector management and policy analysis to financial reporting and analysis, tax management, audit management, strategy development and execution, enterprise risk management, credit risk management, and financial advisory. He is also accomplished in capacity building and training. Dr. Mukhtar Adam is a prolific researcher with several professional and academic publications.