In a swift response to the tragic demise of its former Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr Herbert Wigwe, Access Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of Ms Bolaji Agbede as the Acting Group CEO.
The decision was communicated by the company’s Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, in a notification to the Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) on Tuesday in Lagos.
Dr Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, former Chairman of NGX Group, lost their lives in a helicopter crash in Southern California, U.S., on Friday.
The appointment of Ms Agbede, subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria, comes at a crucial moment for the company. Until her recent appointment, she served as the company’s most senior founding Executive Director in charge of Business Support.
With nearly three decades of professional experience spanning banking and business consultancy services, Ms Agbede brings a wealth of expertise to her new role. She began her career in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank and has since held various key positions, including CEO of JKS Ltd. in 2003. Joining Access Bank Plc in 2003, she rose to the position of Assistant General Manager and later served as the head of group human resources from 2010 to 2022.
Known for her successful track record in people integration, business combination, and culture transformation, Ms Agbede holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos and a Masters of Business Administration from Cranfield University, UK.
As a member of the Chartered Institute of Management, UK, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria, Ms Agbede has participated in renowned leadership and professional development programs, including the High-Performance Leadership Programme by IMD and the Strategic Talent Management Programme by the London Business School.
Abubakar Jimoh, Chairman of Access Holdings, expressed confidence in Agbede’s appointment, stating, “We are strongly convinced that Agbede, being the company’s most senior executive with exceptionally rich, professional and leadership experience and understanding of the Access culture, will provide the much-needed leadership to steer the company.”
This strategic move aligns with the firm’s robust succession planning practices and aims to propel Access Holdings towards the realization of its strategic vision of building a globally connected community and ecosystem.
