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Board of Directors

The Board of the company is made up of the following men of character and high integrity:

Jim Ovia | Godwin Emefiele | Elias Igbin-Akenzua |

Peter Amangbo | Apollos Ikpobe | Udom Emmanuel

Jim Ovia
He is Co-Founder and pioneer Managing Director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc. He has over 25 years banking experience. He is the Chairman of the Nigeria Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and also Chairman, National Information Technology Advisory Committee [NITAC]. He is a member of the Governing Council, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council [NIPC] and also a member of the Honorary International Investor Council.

Jim Ovia is a member of the Governing Council of Lagos State University, Lagos and also a member of the Board of Trustees, Redeemer’s University For Nations, Lagos. He is the proprietor of the proposed University of Information and Communication Technology, Agbor, Delta State; he served on the board of American International School, Lagos [2001 -2003].

Jim Ovia headed various Non-Governmental Organisations [NGO] at various times including being the first President of the Nigeria Internet Group [2001-2003]; member, Tsunami Disaster Relief Committee and co-ordinator Nigerians United To Save Niger Republic [NUSAN].

He is the founder and Chairman of Mankind United to Support Total Education (MUSTE), a philanthropic organization focused on providing scholarship for the less privileged, of which some of the beneficiaries are now qualified Medical Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers etc. Jim Ovia is also the founder of the ICT Foundation for Youth Empowerment, which focuses on improving the socio-economic welfare of Nigerian Youths by inspiring and motivating them to embrace Information and Communication Technology. The initiative holds annual Youth Empowerment conferences.

In November 2000, Jim Ovia was conferred with the national award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the President, Federal Government of Nigeria. He had earlier received the Zik Award for professional leadership in April 1999. He was also conferred with the honorary degree of Doctor of Science [D.Sc) in Finance by the Lagos State University in October, 2005.

Jim Ovia has a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana, Louisiana, USA in 1979 and a B.Sc degree in Business Administration from Southern University, Louisiana, USA (1977).He is also an Alumnus of Harvard Business School (Executive Management Program).

Jim Ovia is a motivational speaker and has delivered speeches at several conferences. He has authored several published and unpublished works and he is in the vanguard of promotion and propagation of Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria.

Godwin Emefiele
He was appointed the Bank’s Deputy Managing Director in 2001. Prior to this appointment, he was the Bank’s Executive Director in charge of Corporate Banking, Treasury, Financial Services and Strategic planning and has been on Zenith’s Management team since inception. Mr. Emefiele has eighteen year’s banking experience, and holds a Bsc. and an MBA in Finance, both from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Before commencing his banking career. He has lectured Finance and Insurance at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and University of Port Harcourt, respectively. He is also an alumnus of Executive Education at Stanford University, Harvard University and Wharton Graduate Schools of Business.

Peter Amangbo
He is an Executive Director in the Bank. He graduated with a B.Eng. in Electrical/Electronics from University of Benin in 1988 and holds an MBA. He worked in PricewaterHouseCoopers, before moving over to Zenith Bank Plc in 1993.
He has over 16years postgraduate experience out of which he spent 12years in the banking industry and 4years experience in PricewaterHouseCoopers.

Elias Igbin- Akenzua
He is an Executive Director in charge of Oil/Gas Multinationals, middle market and commercial banking departments of the bank. He graduated with a B.Sc. Accounting in 1988 from the University of Benin and holds an MBA.
He had earlier worked in the Bank’s Treasury/ Financial Institutions and Corporate Banking Departments.

A fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), he worked with the Audit/Financial service arm of PricewaterHouseCoopers for 4 years before moving over to Zenith Bank Plc in January 1993.
He has over 16 years Postgraduate experience out of which he spent 12 years in the banking industry. He is an Alumnus of Exective Education at Insead, Fountanbleu, France and Wharton Graduate School of Business, USA.

Apollos Ikpobe
He is an Executive Director in the Bank. He holds a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Accounting from the Yaba College of Technology and graduated with a Distinction in 1987. He also has a Masters in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He joined the service of the Bank in February 1992.

He has over 17 years of Postgraduate experience out of which he spent 5 years in reputable Audit firms and about 12 years in the banking industry.

Emmanuel Udom
He is a Executive Director and Group Head of Income Optimisation, Financial Control & Strategic Planning Department. He holds a Bachelors degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos in 1988.
He brings into the Management team many years of quality experience from PricewaterHouseCoopers and Diamond Bank Limited before moving over to Zenith Bank Plc in 1996.

He has over 16 years post graduate experience out of which he has 10 years of banking industry experience.