Management Team

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO

Mr. Ebenezer Onyeagwu is a vastly experienced Chartered Accountant, a knowledgeable and astute financial expert, trained in reputable institutions of learning in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Mr. Onyeagwu is a graduate in accounting from Auchi Polytechnic, widely recognized as an institution that has produced some of Nigeria’s most renowned Chartered Accountants. He obtained the Higher National Diploma in Accounting from that institution in 1987.

He qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ACA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in 1989, almost immediately after graduation. He subsequently became a Fellow (FCA) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), in 2003.

He has over 29 years of experience in the banking industry in Nigeria, out of which he spent 17 in Zenith Bank Plc.

Before joining Zenith Bank Plc, he worked at Citizens International Bank Limited between 1991 and 2002. He was one of the most outstanding branch managers in the bank, winning multiple awards and recognitions for his brilliant, excellent and highly professional performance on the job.

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, and put in charge of Lagos and South-South Zones as well as strategic groups/business units of the bank, including Financial Control & Strategic Planning, Treasury and Correspondent Groups, Human Resources Group, Oil and Gas Group, and Credit Risk Management Group, etc.

Mr. Onyeagwu was named Deputy Managing Director of the bank in 2016. In that capacity, he deputized for the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the bank. He also had direct oversight of the bank’s Financial Control and Strategic Planning, Risk Management, Retail Banking, Institutional and Corporate banking business portfolios, IT Group, Credit Administration, Treasury and Foreign Exchange Trading.

Mr. Onyeagwu is an alumnus of the prestigious University of Oxford, England, from where he obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Strategy, and a certificate in Macroeconomics. He also 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.  

At Wharton Business School, Mr. Onyeagwu undertook the CEO academy and leadership training programmes. His strategic skills were further nurtured and honed at Columbia Business School strategy training programme. At the Harvard Business School, he acquired capabilities in negotiations and critical decision-making.

In the last six years, Mr. Onyeagwu has been on the board of Zenith Bank Ghana, Zenith Pensions Custodian Limited, Zenith Nominees Limited and African Finance Corporation (AFC). In AFC, he serves on the Board Risk & Investment Committee (BRIC), and Board Audit & Compliance Committee (BAAC).  At Zenith Bank Ghana, he chairs the Board Credit and Governance Committees.  

He is very well noted for his tenacity, entrepreneurial spirit, high sense of innovation and creativity and very inspirational leadership skills. Within the market, he is highly respected for his consistent and impeccable character, brilliance, deep knowledge and insight of the market, as well as for his strong professional and ethical principles, which have continued to endear him to all stakeholders.  

Mr. Onyeagwu is married and has children.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Until his appointment as an Executive Director, Umar Shuaib Ahmed was a General Manager and Zonal Head supervising 7 branches and 3 Strategic Business Units in Abuja and also coordinate 3 zones comprising over 20 branches in the North-West and North East.

Umar graduated in 1990 with B.Sc (Hons) Accounting from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and later obtained an MSc. (Banking & Finance) from Bayero University Kano in 1998. He started his banking career 23 years ago in 1993 at Citibank (Nigeria International Bank).

He joined Zenith in 2006 as an Assistant General Manager.  Through his career, Umar has held several management positions before this appointment.

He is a Fellow of Nigerian Institute of Loan and Risk Management, Honorary Senior Member, Chartered Institute of Bankers and Member, Nigerian Institute of Management.

He has attended Strategic Business courses at London Business School and Harvard Business School, USA.

He is married with children

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mr. Olisa is a Chartered Accountant and holds an MBA.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nigeria (FCA), Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB) and an Associate, Chartered Institute of Taxation (ACIT).

He has attended several international courses including INSEAD Business School, Fontainebleau, France; Havard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, USA; London School of Economics (LSE) UK, and Oxford Princeton Programme, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Mr. Olisa has spent over twenty seven (27) years in the Nigerian Banking Industry. He joined the services of the bank in 1998. His experience covers Treasury, Banking Operations, Credit Risk Management, Telecommunication, Oil and Gas, Internal Control as well as Branch Management and Zonal Management.

Prior to his appointment, he was a General Manager and Chief Inspector of the bank, overseeing the Internal Audit and Inspection of the Group.

GENERAL MANAGER

Nwapa Adobi Stella holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from the Imo State University, Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the Strayer University, Houston, Texas, USA and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA – In view) from the Jack Welch Management Institute.

She is a General Manager in Zenith Bank Plc and currently the Group Zonal Head, Ikoyi Zone, with management and supervisory responsibilities over branches and business units in the zone.

Adobi Nwapa joined Zenith Bank in 1990 and has over twenty eight (28) years cognate banking experience, most of which has been in Senior Management positions.

She is a member of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants (ICMA), Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and an honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (HCIB), and  has attended several local and international courses and programmes including Leading Change and Organizational Renewal (Harvard Business School), Key Executive Programme (Harvard Business School), World Finance/Wining Negotiation Strategies (HSM Americas), Developing Strategies for Value Creation (London Business School) and the Senior Management Programme (Lagos Business School), amongst others.

CHIEF RISK OFFICER

Mr. Felix Egbon is the Chief Risk Officer of the bank. He is a Deputy General Manager (DGM) 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 the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the bank. He is currently the Group Head, Financial Control and Strategic Planning Group of the bank.

Dr. Mukhtar Adam holds a PhD in Finance from the Leeds Beckett University (UK); M.Sc. (Finance - Financial Sector Management) from University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, (UK); MBA (Finance) from the University of Leicester (UK) and B.Ed. Social Sciences (Economics and Management) from the University of Cape Coast (Ghana).

He holds a Diploma in International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), and Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ghana (ICAG).

Prior to his appointment as the CFO of Zenith Bank Plc., he was the bank’s Deputy CFO, a position he held since September 2014. Before then, he headed the Financial Reporting, Tax Management and Strategic Planning Groups, and oversaw the entire Zenith Group’s financial reporting function.

Before joining Zenith Bank in 2007, he worked in Financial Services Group of the Nigerian and Ghanaian practices of PricewaterhouseCoopers (now PwC), as a Senior Consultant.