Kolapo Lawson (59)

Chairman since 2009 Non-Executive Director since 1993
Kolapo Lawson is the Chief Executive Officer of a diversified industrial and trading group with operations in the United Kingdom and West Africa. He is the Chairman of Acorn Petroleum Plc and Agbara Estates Limited as well as a non-executive director of three publicly quoted companies: Beta Glass PIc, Pharma-Deko PIc and Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. He was a director of Ecobank Nigeria from 1989 to 1997 and of Ecobank Togo from 1990 to 1993. Kolapo Lawson has a degree in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.

Christian N. Adovelande (59)

1st Vice Chairman since 2009 Non-Executive Director since 2002
Christian Adovelande is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). He was previously Chairman/ManagingDirector of Cauris Management SA and Managing Director of Cauris Investissement SA, a regional venture capital Company based in Lome, Togo. He has held the position of Secretary General and acting General Manager for the Africa Private Investment Guarantee Fund (Fonds GARI S.A.) and held a number of key positions at the West African Development Bank (BOAD). He represents EBID on the Board of Directors. Christian Adovelande holds a degree in Finance and Banking from the Centre Ouest Africain d’Etudes Financieres, Dakar, from which he graduated in 1977.

André Siaka (60)

2nd Vice Chairman since 2009 Non Executive Director since 2006
André Siaka is the Chief Executive Officer of S.A. Brasseries du Cameroun (SABC) since 1988. He has been working with SABC since 1977, rising from Production Engineer, to Plant Manager, Deputy Regional Manager, Regional Manager and Deputy Managing Director. Before SABC, André Siaka worked with Société Générale in Paris (1974 – 1976). Andre Siaka is member of “Commission des Marchés Financiers” and a director of Orange Cameroun and Chanas Assurances SA. André Siaka holds an engineering degree from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. André Siaka has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of Monaco Principality in Douala.

Arnold Ekpe (56)

Chief Executive Officer 1996-2001 and since 2005
Arnold Ekpe returned to Ecobank as the Group Chief Executive Officer in 2005. He was previously the Group Chief Executive Officer from 1996 to 2001 when he left to join United Bank for Africa, one of the top three banks in Nigeria as Chief Executive Officer from 2002 until 2004. He has over 30 years of African and international banking experience, having also worked in Europe, South Africa and West Africa for Citibank and First Chicago. He was Vice President and Head of Structured Trade and Corporate Finance for Sub-Sahara Africa for Citibank. Arnold Ekpe holds degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration from Manchester University and Manchester Business School respectively.

Offong Ambah (50)

Executive Director since 2006
Offong Ambah is currently the Group Executive Director for Ecobank Capital. Prior to that, he was the Regional Head for Nigeria. Between 1985 and 1991, he worked with International Merchant Bank and Citi Trust Merchant Bank in Nigeria. In 1991 he started work with Ecobank. In 1999, he was transferred to Liberia to set up Ecobank Liberia as Managing Director. He left the Ecobank Group in 2002 for United Bank for Africa PLC where he worked as Executive Director. He left UBA in 2005 and was appointed Interim Chairman of Allstates Trust Bank. In March 2006, he returned to Ecobank Group as Managing Director of Ecobank Nigeria and Regional Head for Nigeria. Offong Ambah holds a Bachelor in Economics

Patrick Akinwutan (48)

Executive Director since 2005
Patrick Akinwuntan is currently the Group Head of Products, Domestic Banking. Prior to that, he was in charge of Operations, Technology and Transaction Bank, and also the Managing Director of eProcess International SA. He joined Ecobank in 1996 as Head of Commercial Banking and Zonal Head of Ecobank Nigeria. He also held the positions of Group Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director at Ecobank Nigeria. Before Ecobank, he worked for Ernst and Young, Manufacturers Merchant Bank and Springfountain Management Consultants in Nigeria. Patrick Akinwuntan holds an MBA. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and an associate of the Institute of Taxation. He is also an alumnus of the Harvard Business School’s Senior Executive Program.

Albert Essien (54)

Executive Director since 2005
Albert Essien is currently the Group Executive Director for Corporate Banking. Prior to that, he was the Regional Head for the Rest of West Africa (excluding Nigeria) and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) regions. As Regional Head, for ESA he had responsibility for Ecobank’s expansion into that region which culminated in subsidiaries in the following counties; Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia and Malawi. He started his banking career in 1986 with the National Investment Bank in Accra, Ghana. He joined the Corporate Banking Department of Ecobank Ghana in 1990. In 1997, he became Country Risk Manager. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 2001 and became Managing Director in December 2002. Albert Essien has a degree in Economics from the University of Ghana (graduated in 1979) and is an alumnus of the Executive Development Program of INSEAD (France/Singapore). He is also an honorary fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, Ghana. Kassimou

Abou Kabassi (55)

Executive Director since 2008
Kassimou Abou Kabassi is currently the Special Adviser to the Group CEO for Governmental Relations and Corporate Development. Prior to that, he was the Regional Head for Central Africa Region. He started his banking career in 1985 as a financial analyst with the Development Bank of Benin. In 1990, he joined Ecobank Benin and held a number of positions including Credit and Marketing Officer and Risk Manager. In 1999, he was appointed acting Managing Director of Ecobank Togo. He moved to Ecobank Mali in 2000 as Managing Director and in 2005 he was appointed Managing Director of Ecobank Cameroon and Regional Head for Central Africa Region. He holds a Masters’ Degree in Economy and Business Administration and a postgraduate diploma in banking.

Evelyne Tall (51)

Kwasi A. Boatin (48)

Non-Executive Director since 2009
Kwasi Boatin is an investment consultant and until recently the Director General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), with US$2.1 billion of assets under management for a defined benefit plan under the Social Security Scheme for Ghana. He was the General Manager in charge of Finance of the SSNIT from 2003 to 2008. He has significant experience in investment consulting and asset management and has made several presentations worldwide. In February 2006 he was appointed Reporter by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) in Geneva and is currently vice chairperson on the Technical Commission on Investments. From 1989 to 2003 he held senior finance positions in major companies in the UK including Barratt London Plc, AT&T (UK) Ltd and Winkworth. Mr. Boatin holds an MBA from Henley Management College, Oxfordshire, UK and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK.

Paulo Gomes (46)

Non-Executive Director since 2006
Paulo Gomes was an Executive Director of the World Bank Group in Washington D.C. from 1998 to 2006. From 1995 to 1998, he worked for the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Trade of Guinea-Bissau, where he was Principal Adviser, Director of Strategic Planning, Public Investment and Debt. Paulo Gomes is the Founder and Manager of Constelor Holdings and Chairman of AFIG Fund. He holds a Certificate in Political Studies (Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris), a Bachelor in Economics and International Trade (Institut d’Etudes Libres de Relations Internationales, Paris) and Masters in Economic Policy and Management from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Sipho Goodenough Mseleku (43)

Non-Executive Director since 2009
Mr. Sipho Goodenough Mseleku is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association of SADC Chambers of Commerce & Industry (ASCCI), a Non Executive Chairman of Sakhumnotho Group Holdings(Pty) Ltd and Director of several other institutions since 2005 to date. From 2004 to 2005, he was the Chief Executive Officer of Chambers of Commerce & Industry of South Africa (CHAMSA) and from 2002-2005, he was the Chief Executive Officer of National African Federated Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NAFCOC) and of Sakhumnotho Group Holdings(Pty) Ltd. From 2000 to 2003, he was Senior Manager, Investment Banking at Gensec Bank and Structured Financier at Development Bank of South Africa; In 1999 and 2000, he was Senior Legal Executive of Brait Capital Partners. In 1997 and 1999 and from 2005 to date, he is Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. He is the current Chairman of All African Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Mr. Mseleku holds an LLM (Tax Law), an HDip Company Law, an LLB, and a BA (Hons) of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg.

Oba Otudeko (66)

Non-Executive Director since 2002
Dr. Ayoola Oba Otudeko, OFR is chairman of several local and international companies in Nigeria and abroad. They include Honeywell Group in Nigeria and Delmar Overseas Limited. He had been at various times a Director of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc and British American Tobacco Company Limited. He is a Director of the First Bank of Nigeria Plc, and Chairman, FBN Bank (UK) Limited, London. He is President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange andChairman of the Nigerian-South African Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Regional Advisory Board of the London Business School and Chancellor of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, and the State University of Ogun State, Nigeria. Oba Otudeko is a chartered Accountant and chartered banker. He graduated from Leeds College of Commerce in the United Kingdom in 1968.

Isyaku Umar (62)

Non Executive Director since 2006
Isyaku Umar started his career with UAC of Nigeria. From 1972 to 1976, he was employed in Kano State Government and was at various times Secretary of the Draught Relief Committee and Principal Private Secretary to the Military Governor. Following that, he became the General Manager of Mai-Nasara and Sons Limited from 1977 to 1979, and Managing Director of Tofa General Enterprises Ltd from 1979 to date. Isyaku Umar holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and a Master of Public Administration degree from Pittsburgh University and an Hononary Doctorate Degree by Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka Anambra State Nigeria.