Access Holdings appoints Bolaji Agbede as acting CEO

Access Holdings Plc has appointed Bolaji Agbede as the acting group chief executive officer (GCEO).

The appointment was announced in a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange  Group (NGX) on Monday.

The development comes three days following the death of Herbert Wigwe, the company’s former GCEO.

Wigwe had died in a helicopter crash alongside his wife, son, and Abimbolo Ogunbanjo, a former chairman of the NGX, on Friday.

In the corporate filing, the board of directors said Agbede’s appointment is subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

“Further to its announcement dated February 11, 2024, the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) has today announced the appointment of Ms Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of the Company following the unfortunate demise of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Herbert Wigwe, on February 9, 2024,” the bank said.

Commenting on the leadership change, Abubakar Jimoh, the company’s chairman, said Agbede’s appointment aligns with the bank’s robust succession planning practices.

”We are strongly convinced that Ms. Agbede, being the Company’s most Senior Executive with exceptionally rich, professional and leadership experience and understanding of the Access culture, would provide the much-needed leadership to steer the Company towards the attainment of its strategic vision of building a globally. connected community and ecosystem, inspired by Africa for the world,” he said.

Prior to Agbede’s appointment, she was the firm’s most senior founding executive director in charge of business support.

With nearly three decades of professional experience, cutting across banking and business consultancy services, Agbede commenced her professional career in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank and served in various capacities within the commercial banking and operations functions, rising to the position of Manager in 2001.

She subsequently served as the CEO of JKG Limited, a business consulting outfit in 2003.

Agbede is to have joined Access Bank Plc (the bank) in 2003 as an assistant general manager and was responsible for managing the bank’s portfolio of chemical trading companies.

She also served as the bank’s head, group human resources between 2010 and 2022 and was appointed the company’s founding executive director, business support in 2022.

Agbede holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and statistics from the University of Lagos (1990) and a masters of business administration degree from Cranfield University UK in 2002.

She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Management UK and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.