By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Mr Ademola Adebise has been appointed as the acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Wema Bank Plc.
Mr Adebise, according to a statement made available to Business Post, will assume his new role with effect from Sunday, July 1, 2018, subject to regulatory approvals.
According to Wema Bank, the new appointee is taking over the position because the former occupier of the seat, Mr Segun Oloketuyi, is retiring from the financial institution with effect from September 30, 2018 almost a decade at the helm of the bank.
“On behalf of the board and management of [Wema] Bank, I want to thank Mr Oloketuyi for his service and wish him the best in his future endeavours,” said Oluwole Ajimisinmi, Wema Bank’s Company Secretary and Legal Adviser.
Mr Oloketuyi was named MD/CEO of Wema Bank Plc in June 2009, with the task of returning the bank to profitability following the 2008 banking crisis which saw the collapse of many banks.
At the time, Wema Bank had negative retained earnings in excess of N45 billion and was declared a bank in grave financial situation by the regulatory authority.
However, under his leadership, fortunes of the Wema Bank were completely turned around, leading to the recapitalization of the bank and its return to profitability. The lender is now positioned to deliver dividends to shareholders.
As part of a turnaround plan which Mr Oloketuyi led, the bank also regained its national banking license from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which has allowed it to expand to the northern and eastern parts of the country, significantly increasing its market share and customer base in the process.
The outgoing Wema Bank MD prioritized the use of technology to deliver improved service to customers, culminating into the launch of ALAT, which offers branchless banking services.
He will proceed on a terminal leave from July 1, 2018 and will be succeeded by Mr Adebise, who is currently the Deputy Managing Director of the bank.
Mr Adebise has been part of the Wema Bank’s Executive management team since 2009 and has played a pivotal role in the execution of the strategic turnaround plan of the financial institution.
He has over 28 years’ experience in the banking industry (inclusive of 4 years in management consulting), and has worked in various capacities in Information Technology, Financial Control & Strategic Planning, Treasury, Corporate Banking, Risk Management and Performance Management.
Before joining Wema Bank, Mr Adebise was Head, Finance & Performance Management Practice at Accenture (Lagos Office) where he led various projects for banks in Business Process Re-engineering, Information Technology and Risk Management.
He is an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program (AMP) of the Harvard Business School and a holder of a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Lagos. He also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Lagos Business School.
Mr Adebise is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). He is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria). He is an honorary Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (HCIB) and a member of the Institute of Directors.
In the statement, the board of Wema Bank expressed confidence that Mr Adebise’s appointment will lead to the continued transformation and growth of the Bank as it positions itself as a market leader in Nigeria’s retail banking segment through technology and innovation.
