Access Holdings Plc has named an Executive Director, Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the organization following the death of its former CEO, Herbert Wigwe in the United States on Friday.
This was made known via a statement released on Tuesday and dated February 12 by the board of Directors of Access Holdings.
It read: “Further to its announcement dated February 11, 2024, the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc (‘the Company’) has today announced the appointment of Ms Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of the Company following the unfortunate demise of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Herbert Wigwe, on February 9, 2024.”
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Agbede was the most senior founding executive director in charge of business support in the company.
She will take the helm of the affairs of Access Holdings Plc subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
This transition marks a significant point in the company’s history as it navigates the challenges of sudden leadership change.
With an impressive professional background that spans nearly three decades, Agbede’s career trajectory in banking and business consultancy services has equipped her with a rich blend of expertise and strategic acumen.
Her journey began in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank. and steadily climbed the ranks to managerial positions by 2001 until she eventually took on the role of Chief Executive Officer at JKG Limited, a business consulting firm, in 2003.
Her association with Access Bank Plc commenced in 2003 as an Assistant General Manager responsible for managing the bank’s portfolio of chemical trading companies.
Her leadership qualities and strategic insight led her to assume the Bank’s Head, Group Human Resources position between 2010 and 2022.
She was then elevated to the role of Access Holdings Plc’s founding Executive Director, Business Support, where she played a pivotal role in successfully integrating business units and transforming the company’s culture.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos (1990) and a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield University in 2002.
She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management, UK, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.
Agbede has attended several renowned leadership and professional development programmes, including the High-Performance Leadership Programme organised by the IMD and the Strategic Talent Management Programme organised by the London Business School.
Wigwe, his wife, son, as well as the former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, died in a chopper crash in California, United States, over the weekend.
