Business
Ecobank Group: Osei-Poku appointed Regional Executive for Anglophone W/Africa.
Ecobank Group: Osei-Poku appointed Regional Executive for Anglophone W/Africa.
Ecobank Group, a leading pan-African financial services group, recently made key senior executive appointments to bolster its leadership team and drive the implementation of its new Growth, Transformation, and Returns (GTR) strategy. The announcement was made in a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited and the investing public.
One of the notable appointments is Abena Osei-Poku, who has been named as the Regional Executive for Anglophone West Africa and Managing Director of Ecobank Ghana. Osei-Poku brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role, and her leadership will be instrumental in driving the growth and success of Ecobank in the region.
In addition to Osei-Poku, other senior executives appointed include Martin Miruka as Group Executive for Transformation, Enablement, and Customer Experience; Anup Suri as Group Executive for Commercial and Consumer Banking; Michael Larbie as Group Executive for Corporate and Investment Banking; and Thierry Mbimi as Group Executive for Internal Audit & Management Services.
These appointments reflect Ecobank’s commitment to strengthening its leadership team and positioning the group for continued success in the competitive financial services industry. The new executives bring a diverse set of skills and experiences to their respective roles, and their collective efforts will be crucial in driving Ecobank’s strategic objectives and delivering value to its stakeholders.
Overall, these appointments mark an important milestone for Ecobank Group as it embarks on its new GTR strategy. With a strong leadership team in place, Ecobank is well-positioned to navigate the challenges and opportunities in the market and achieve sustainable growth and profitability in the years to come.
What the group said
The group said these top-level appointments are strategically important as Ecobank enters its next phase of growth and transformation, aiming to become the bank of choice and a leader in delivering responsive, innovative, and affordable financial services products and solutions for Africa.
It was noted that Ecobank Group has decided to combine the commercial and consumer businesses under the leadership of Anup Suri, underscoring its commitment to strengthening these two business units to drive growth.
In addition, the establishment of the new role of Transformation, Enablement, and Customer Experience underscores the group’s determination to prioritise the necessary leadership for the successful execution of its transformation.
Jeremy Awori, Chief Executive Officer of Ecobank Group, said:
“These appointments are crucial to the execution of our recently announced five-year Growth, Transformation, and Returns strategy.
I am delighted that Abena Osei-Poku, Martin Miruka, Anup Suri, Michael Larbi, and Thierry Mbimi are joining our leadership team, each bringing proven, valuable, global and
African financial services experience.
I have no doubt that they will play pivotal roles in driving Ecobank’s future growth and success.”
Profile of Abena Osei Poku
According to the statement, Abena Osei Poku joined Ecobank in January. She is an accomplished Pan-African business leader with over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Her expertise spans corporate and investment banking, business banking, and risk management across Africa. Her previous roles include Executive Director for Commercial Banking, responsible for Corporate & Business Banking at Barclays Bank Ghana; Co-Regional Head of Coverage, Corporate & Investment Banking at Absa Bank Group, overseeing East and West Africa; and CEO and Managing Director of Absa Bank Ghana.
Abena takes over from Daniel Sackey, who is retiring from the bank. We thank Daniel Sackey for his leadership, commitment, and effective service across the continent over the past 27 years at Ecobank.
Profile of Martin Miruka
Martin Miruka, who joined Ecobank in February, brings with him 25 years of experience as a C-suite executive, business strategist, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor with strong credentials in pan-African transformation.
His previous roles include Group Head of Business Transformation, Customer Experience, and Innovation at Equity Group Holdings, where he successfully led transformation by breaking the group’s strategic and operational silos, aligning technology investments with business strategy, and ultimately delivering a branded customer experience across multiple African countries.
He was also the founder and CEO of Atom TDF, Kenya’s first indigenous brand strategy and innovation consultancy, and Kava Africa, a fintech/insurance company based in Nairobi, Kenya
Profile of Anup Suri
Anup Suri assumed his new role in March. He brings a wealth of over 30 years of senior leadership experience across various industries and organisations in both developed and emerging markets across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the UK, North America, and South America.
He joined Ecobank Group from HSBC Group, where he was Managing Director and Global Head of Retail Sales and Third-Party Distribution.
Anup previously held other senior roles at Standard Chartered Group, Standard Chartered Bank, and ABN Amro.
Profile of Michael Larbie
Michael Larbie, who assumed his role in March, brings over 25 years of global senior financial services and investment banking experience.
He served as CEO of International & Broader Africa at Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), before which he held the positions of CEO & Managing Director of RMB Nigeria and Regional Head of West Africa, as well as Head of Coverage & Investment Banking for Africa (excluding South Africa).
His experience also includes senior investment banking roles at Merrill Lynch and senior project management roles at American International Group.
Michael takes over from Eric Odhiambo, who will retire from Ecobank at the end of April.
“We thank Eric Odhiambo for his unwavering commitment, invaluable contribution, and dedicated service over the past six and a half years, first as Chief Risk Officer and then as Group Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking,” the group said.
Profile of Thierry Mbimi
Thierry Mbimi, who also started in March, has 27 years of extensive industry and consulting experience, with the last 17 years in director-level roles.
He brings with him a wealth of global experience in audit and risk management, complemented by a solid background in technology.
Thierry was the CEO & Managing Partner for KPMG Central Africa (Audit, Tax, and Advisory), before which he held several roles in the organisation, including Partner and Head of West Africa Financial Risk Management and Lead Partner for the Financial Services Sector in Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa
