Jobs/Appointments
Wema Bank Appoints Kasali as Non-Executive Director
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Mr Babatunde Oladele Kasali has been announced as a Non-Executive Director of Wema Bank Plc, following the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The appointment of Mr Kasali was disclosed in a statement issued by the financial institution on Tuesday, which was made available to Business Post.
In the statement, Mr Kasali was described as a consummate professional with expertise in Audit, Risk Management, Compliance and Retail banking, spanning over three decades.
He has served as General Manager and Regional Bank Head for United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, a bank he joined in 1996.
While at the bank, he also held several positions such as Chief Inspector, Regional Director and Divisional Director.
He has also served as Managing Director of Resolution and Restructuring Company Limited.
Mr Kasali has also been a Non-Executive Director at UAC of Nigeria Plc since March 27, 2013 and was a Non-Executive Director of UACN Property Development Company Plc, from January 13, 2010 to March 24, 2013.
He had from February 2015 to November 26, 2015 served as a Non-Executive Director of Wema Bank Plc.
Mr Kasali is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He graduated with B.Sc (Hons) Degree in Economics from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK in 1977.
Commenting on the appointment, Mr Adeyinka Asekun, Chairman of Wema Bank said, “It is with great delight that I welcome Mr Kasali who is joining the Board of Wema Bank plc a second time. While he was with us in 2015, he showed exceptionally rich professional and corporate experience; qualities which our board is often looking for.
“I believe his skills will be valuable to our bank as we continue in our growth phase and in our quest to become the retail bank of choice in Nigeria.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
An outsourced human resources (HR) management solution designed to accelerate the activities of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the country has been introduced by a leading talent management company in Nigeria, Jobrole Consulting Limited.
This plan, called Jobrole Flexi HR, will enable small business owners to navigate common HR challenges while focusing on core business operations.
It is an integrated human resources and business solution designed to meet the administrative needs of Nigerian small businesses and help them grow from sole proprietorships to flourishing organizations with select employees and clientele lists.
Jobrole Consulting is reputed for its wide-ranging human resources solution for high business performance, and this new package further cements its status in the industry.
The Director of Strategy and New Market at Jobrole Consulting, Mr Chigbo Okeke, informed newsmen that the Jobrole Flexi HR plan was to justify that people are a strategic resource for every business.
According to him, no matter how large or small a business is, there is always a need to use effective HR strategic planning techniques to manage the company’s resources and minimize human resources issues.
“We are excited to introduce Jobrole Flexi HR plan to the Nigerian SME market. This is an outsourced HR management solution that assists start-ups and other small-to-medium-sized businesses in reducing operational issues such as staff identity risks, recruitment turnaround time, hiring costs, and developing HR policies for your organization.
“These HR activities are vital business functions, strategic to the operational success of all businesses. We help our clients carry out these tasks and get them done without a hitch while they face their core business operations,” he said.
Mr Okeke added that, “Nigerian small businesses must prioritize building a comprehensive human resources programme into the company’s overall business strategy.”
This, he said, is critical to increasing their bottom line and capable of strengthening their organization’s competitive advantage.
Some Flexi HR deliverables include staff recruitment, onboarding and documentation, employee background checks, performance management, payroll management, and HR policy development.
He urged small business owners in Nigeria to take into account that the HR role is key to their operations, noting that with the changing nature of the work environment in recent years, it is now very clear that the role of HR is very significant for small and bigger businesses because the value one or a few employees add to the business’s performance is quite significant and immeasurable.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The former chief executive officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Mr Yemi Kale, has joined a leading audit firm, KPMG Nigeria, as a partner and chief economist.
Mr Kale was also Nigeria’s Statistician General of the Federation between 2011 and 2021 and was very respected for how he projected the agency as a reputable stats agency.
In a post on Thursday, KPMG said Mr Kale would lead the company’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of our solutions involving economic modelling and macroeconomic analysis in private and public sector clients.
“The partners and staff of KPMG Nigeria are pleased to welcome Dr Oyeyemi Kale to our firm as he assumes the role of Partner and Chief Economist of KPMG Nigeria.
“Yemi holds a B.Sc. Honours degree in Economics (first class), Addis Ababa University, and an http://M.Sc. (Distinction) and PhD in Economics from The London School of Economics and Political Science.
“He has deep experience, gained from both the private and public sector, in macroeconomic analysis, financial, economic and investment research and fiscal and macroeconomic policy advisory.
“From 2011 to 2021, he served as the Statistician General of the Federation/Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
“As our Chief Economist, Yemi will lead the firm’s view on macroeconomics and enhance the breadth of our solutions involving economic modelling & macroeconomic analysis in private and public sector clients,” the announcement read.
Under his watch, the stats office released data that were favourable and unfavourable to the ruling government with fear.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The United Kingdom Government has appointed Mr Richard Montgomery as the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
The UK government announced his appointment in a statement on Tuesday, and he will succeed Ms Catriona Laing, who has been the UK’s representative in Nigeria since November 2018.
According to the statement, Ms Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment.
The High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a commonwealth nation. It is the equivalent of an ambassador, and since Nigeria is a former colony of the UK, the country has a High Commissioner instead of an ambassador.
The High Commissioner is charged with the direction and work of the consulate, including political relations, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services.
Mr Montgomery’s past experiences include Counsellor (development) and Head of Office, Department for International Development (DFID), Abuja, from 2009-2013.
He has also held executive development roles in Zambia, Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.
His most recent post was the UK executive director for the World Bank Group in Washington.
He has a PhD in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge, alongside other research-related qualifications from GKW Consult Mannheim and Manchester University.
Mr Montgomery is expected to begin his new role in April 2023.
