Access Bank Plc, the commercial banking arm of financial services group Access Holdings, has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as the chairperson of its board of directors.
Her appointment follows the retirement of Paul Usoro, who concluded his tenure on January 29 after reaching the regulatory tenure limit, Access Holdings announced in a filing at the Nigerian Exchange on Tuesday.
“Mrs Osime is a principled and experienced leader with a deep understanding of the bank’s strategy and values,” said Aigboje Aig-Imhoukhuede, chairman of Access Holdings.
“She has demonstrated strong commitment to the bank’s vision and mission, and I am confident that, under her leadership, the bank will continue to advance its strategic objectives of delivering sustainable value to shareholders and other stakeholders in the pursuit of its vision to become the world’s most respected African bank,” he added.
A seasoned legal practitioner with extensive experience in corporate governance and strategic leadership, Mrs. Osime joined the Access Bank board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director.
Prior to her new role, she served as the chairperson of the Board Human Resources and Sustainability Committee and the Board Governance Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
Mrs. Osime also holds directorships at Ebudo Trust Limited and is a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial legal matters.
She has a wealth of experience, having previously served as an independent non-executive director at Coronation Insurance Plc, chairperson of the directors’ board of Coronation Life Insurance Company Limited, and a non-executive director at the defunct Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank).
Her career began at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation, followed by a role at African Development Insurance Company Limited (now NSIA Insurance), where she served as company secretary and assistant general manager, administration & legal.
Mrs. Osime holds a law degree from the University of Benin and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. She also earned a Master of Laws degree in Commercial and Private Law from the London School of Economics. Additionally, she has attended executive education programs at prestigious institutions, including INSEAD, IMD Business School, Harvard Business School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.
She is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, Women Corporate Directors Nigeria Chapter, and the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria.
