Ecobank Group Makes New Appointments 

Ecobank Group has elevated  Mr Chinedu Ikwudinma to the position of group executive and group chief risk officer.

Ikwudinma succeeds Mr Eric Odhiambo in that role, following Odhiambo’s appointment as group executive, corporate and investment banking.

Odhiambo replaced Mr Akin Dada, who recently retired from the Ecobank Group, having reached the retirement age of 60,according to a statement.

The statement said prior to his appointment as GCRO, Ikwudinma had been the group’s chief credit officer since June 2019.

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank, Ade Ayeyemi, said, “I congratulate Chinedu on his elevation to the position of group chief risk officer. Chinedu is a consummate banker with extensive risk management experience.

“Since joining Ecobank in 2019, he has brought on board his strong credit analysis and structuring acumen as well as an all-encompassing risk management intellect. We are pleased to be able to appoint senior executives from within the group as we continue to build strong leadership capacity into the future.”

Speaking on Dada’s retirement, the Chief Executive Officer, Ecobank Group, Ade Ayeyemi, said: “In the last five years with Ecobank, Akin has made very impactful contributions.

“His invaluable and varied experience over many years in corporate banking, as well as his broader knowledge of banking, credit and risk management, ideally positioned him to lead our Group Corporate and Investment Banking business. I thank Akin for his significant contributions and wish him a very happy and fruitful retirement.”

Ayeyemi described Odhiambo as “a vastly knowledgeable banker with strong expertise in business development, credit structuring and understanding as well as risk management”.

According to him, he has the capacity to ensure the realisation of the goals of the group’s corporate and investment banking business in the areas of loans, trade finance, advisory services and cross-border payments.

Before  joining the Ecobank Group, Ikwudinma was managing director of Nova Merchant Bank in Nigeria from September 2017 to August 2018, according to the statement.

“He also spent over 26 years with Citigroup in various senior management roles in commercial banking, corporate and investment banking and risk management, has served as the managing director of Citibank Uganda and head of corporate banking in Citibank Zambia,” it said.

The statement said Odhiambo joined the Ecobank Group in September 2017 as group chief risk officer.

It said this followed 14 years with Citigroup in various senior management roles, including head, risk analysis and remedial management; country risk manager; regional head of risk management in Africa and Turkey and CIS; and a senior credit officer, among other roles.

The statement said he led various credit structuring and approvals from an independent risk point of view while also participating with deal teams from corporate and investment banking, corporate finance, project finance, derivative structures and trade transaction services in actualising transactions.