Jobs/Appointments
Chain Reactions Appoints Ugorji to Achieve 5-Year Business Growth Plan
One of Nigeria’s leading Public Relations and Integrated Communications Consulting firms, Chain Reactions Nigeria Limited, has announced Mr Uche Ugorji as Vice President, Strategy and Business Development.
Mr Israel Jaiye Opayemi, who is the Managing Director and Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Nigeria, which is the Nigerian affiliate to Edelman, the world’s largest Public Relations firm, said in a statement that the appointment of Mr Ugorji was part of a holistic and aggressive business development drive the company was embarking upon.
Mr Opayemi, who said the appointment was effective Friday 1, November 2019, stated that Mr Ugorji was picked with the sole aim of “turbo-charging our bold client acquisition drive towards 2020 and beyond.”
“He will effectively function as a Vice President and Chief Operating Officer with the mandate to give our 5-year business growth plan the leadership kick it requires. We see in Uche a man with incredible understanding of the art of selling, hence our decision to put him in charge of our growth train,” he added.
The statement further disclosed that Mr Ugorji’s choice was deliberate considering his robust cross-functional marketing communications background.
“We have deliberately primed our business for the age of convergence and this is evident in the kind of work we do for clients and the kind of talents we retain to do them. We do not engage in run-off-the-mill PR works for our clients.
“We have fully embraced Edelman’s concept of Communications Marketing for our clients and so Uche is yet another bright example of the kind of talents we parade in Chain Reactions to deliver amazing results to our clients,” Mr Opayemi said.
In his reaction to the decision of the management of Chain Reactions to bring him on board, Mr Ugorji said, “I am super delighted at the opportunities ahead. I love the shared vision of Chain Reactions and the intentionality of its founder. It is bold and daring. I love the trajectory of the company, its international flavour in creed and in action. I love the company’s audacity to play big in not just Nigeria but in Africa. That is why I am in.”
Mr Ugorji has about 16 years of practical experience in the Marketing Communications industry within and outside the shores of Nigeria. He began his career in Public Relations with the then CMC Connect, now CMC Burson Cohn and Wolf before making a switch to core advertising as a strategic planner with Bluebird Communications.
He later joined SO&U Saatchi & Saatchi where he was once described by one of the living legends of the industry, Udeme Ufot as “more than a Star but a genius!” upon his impressive performance on the Guinness account. This commendation came off the back of a character and dedication testimonial Uche had received from the Guinness Brand team in which he was described as a “rock” and a man who could deliver against incredibly impossible timelines”. The Guinness Marketing Manager at the time had cause to describe Uche as a man who exudes “nothing else but a can-do attitude even at the craziest deadlines” within the Guinness brand team.
Mr Ugorji displayed similar impressive performance at Etuodi Communications and DDB Lagos respectively before joining Ogilvy as Business Director and Agency Council Lead for West Africa Region where he had oversight for all Ogilvy Integrated Marketing Communications interest accounts.
Chain Reactions Nigeria’s current clientele include Facebook, 9mobile, HP, Motorola Solutions, Dubai Tourism, First Bank, Lagos State Governor’s Office, The Jack Ma Foundation, Propertymart amongst others.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Mr Malolan Sampath has been appointed as the new chief executive of Champion Breweries Plc, effective September 1, 2026.
The appointment of a new chief executive was approved by the board of the brewery giant following the resignation of Mr Inalegwu Adoga.
To ensure continuity during the transition pending Mr Sampath’s assumption of office, the board has appointed Mr Rasheed Ademola Adebiyi, Executive Director of Finance, to take charge of the affairs of the organisation.
In a statement, the board said it remains committed to the highest standards of corporate governance and to delivering a seamless leadership transition and sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders.
The new Sheriff in town, expected to take over next quarter, was described as an accomplished executive with over 26 years of international leadership experience across the beverage, FMCG, manufacturing and agro-industrial sectors, having built and led businesses up to $500 million in scale.
His beverage and brewing experience includes serving as Managing Director of Unique Beverages in Angola and as Sales & Marketing Director for a PepsiCo bottling franchise, in addition to earlier brewing-sector experience.
Most recently, he held the dual role of Managing Director (NPK Joint Venture) and Chief Marketing Officer at Indorama Eleme Fertilisers in Nigeria and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Global Industries Limited, a Wilmar International joint venture in Zambia.
He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from the Symbiosis Centre for Management & HRD, Pune, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Chennai.
The board expressed confidence that his expertise in manufacturing excellence, commercial execution and business transformation will support the company’s strategic objectives and long-term growth.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Erudite legal practitioner, Mr Muiz Banire (SAN), has been appointed to the board of a construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
He joins the board of the organisation as a non-executive director, with effect from July 1, 2026, alongside Mrs Chinazo Okoye, who is an alternate director to Dr Ernest N. Azudialu-Obiejesi.
A statement from the company secretary, Ms Cecilia Ekanem Madueke, said Mrs Okoye is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, and holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Master of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, and a Master of Science Degree in Professional Accountancy from the University of London, London, UK.
She is a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. She has worked in various positions in various companies and is currently the Managing Director of Amaranta Trading Limited.
As for Mr Banire, he is a graduate of the University of Lagos and holds a Master of Laws Degree as well as a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from the same university.
He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1989. He also holds a Master Certificate in the Arbitration Master Course from the Lagos Court of Arbitration Training Institute. He was admitted to the Inner Bar and conferred with the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). He is a Member of the International Bar Association, the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a Fellow of the Institute of Transport Administration of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He is registered with the Law Society of England.
He had served in various capacities in the Legal profession, academic community and publicly. He was conferred with the National Honour of the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON).
He is the Founder and Principal Partner, M. A. Banire & Associates, Member of the Board of Trustees, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Access Holdings Plc appointed Mr Sa’adu Jijji as the new chief executive of Access ARM Pensions Limited, its pension subsidiary.
The appointment has received all necessary regulatory approvals, including the board of Access ARM Pensions, reflecting the group’s continued focus on deepening leadership capacity across its subsidiaries and reinforcing its position in Nigeria’s pension industry.
Mr Jijji obtained a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.
He is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience in the financial services sector, spanning pension fund administration, investment management, actuarial consulting, and corporate strategy.
Mr Jijji has held senior leadership roles at Premium Pension Limited, Alexander Forbes Consulting Actuaries Nigeria and Pension Alliance Limited (PAL Pensions), where he served as acting managing director.
Also, his appointment underscores Access Holdings’ commitment to delivering long-term value to retirement savings account holders and other stakeholders, while advancing its broader strategy of building globally competitive financial services businesses.
In 2024, Access Pensions Limited acquired a majority stake in ARM Pensions Managers Limited to create Nigeria’s second-largest Pension Fund Administrator by Assets Under Management.
At the time, the then-Group Chief Executive, Access Holdings, Mr Herbert Wigwe, said, “We are pleased to have reached this transformative milestone in our pension fund administration journey. The proposed combination of ARM Pension with Access Pensions will not only create sustainable stakeholder value but will also contribute positively to the growth and development of the pension industry.”
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