The United Bank for Africa (UBA) has appointed Abiola Bawuah, a Ghanaian national, as its first female CEO (CEO).
According to the bank, Bawuah will oversee the bank’s operations throughout Africa, with the exception of Nigeria, where UBA is the dominant bank.
UBA said her appointment as the pan-African bank’s first female CEO demonstrates the bank’s commitment to diversity. The bank now has eight female CEOs overseeing its African operations.
Buwuah was the bank’s Regional CEO for West Africa, overseeing operations in nine subsidiaries including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and Sierra Leone, according to reports.
Bawauh had served as the bank’s CEO in Ghana.
According to UBA Group’s Board Chairman, Tony Elumelu, Bawuah added greatly to the bank’s growth in Africa for close to a decade, bringing a wealth of experience in commercial banking and stakeholder engagement.
The bank also announced other critical appointments.
The bank appointed Chrus Ofikulu as its Regional CEO of UBA West Africa, Uzoechina Molokwu was appointed Deputy Managing Director of UBA in Ghana, pending regulatory approvals from Ghana. Currently, Molokwu serves as the bank’s Executive Director in Cote d’Ivoire.
Others include Ayokunle Oljulu as the Managing Director/CEO of UBA, Liberia; Theresa Henshaw as CEO of UBA UK; Usman Isiaka was appointed the bank’s CEO in America; and Adeyemi Adeleke was appointed as the bank’s Treasurer.
UBA has operations in 19 African countries and global operations spanning the United States of America, France, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.
It is one of the largest employers of labour in the financial services sector in Africa with over 25,000 employees and over 37 million customers across the globe.