The Board of United Bank for Africa Plc has announced the appointment of Mr. Phillips Oduoza as Group Chief Executive Designate of UBA.

Phillips Oduoza has over 22 years experience in Banking and Financial Services spanning Banking Operations, Relationship Management, Credit/Marketing, Technology Implementation, Risk Management, Lean Banking Methods, and Brand Management.

Prior to this appointment, Phillips Oduoza was the Bank’s Deputy Managing Director overseeing its operations in the South, which is the UBA Group’s largest strategic business group.

He will commence as the Group Chief Executive of the Bank on August 1, 2010. In the interim, Mr Oduoza will work in tandem with Mr. Tony Elumelu, current Group Chief Executive of UBA to ensure that the transition is seamless.

“UBA has grown to be an African financial institution in a short period of time, redefining banking not just in Nigeria, but across Africa” said Tony Elumelu. “Phillips, in conjunction with the extremely strong Executive team that surrounds him, will play a determining role in delivering on the promises we have made to our customers, shareholders, and staff. His appointment, from an extremely able team, is also a tribute to UBA’s longstanding commitment to nurturing talent and ensuring orderly succession planning”.

Phillips Oduoza’s appointment coincides with the opening of UBA’s Zambian operations – the first Southern African business unit for the Group, emphasizing UBA’s vision of bringing world class banking services to all regions of sub-Saharan Africa and follows UBA’s successful openings in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

Phillips Oduoza is an accomplished scholar with a First Class Degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA (Finance) from the University of Lagos. He is also an Alumnus of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School amongst other world class training.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Oduoza said: “I am honored to be called upon to fulfill the role of Group Chief Executive at this defining moment in the bank and indeed the Nigerian financial services industry. The UBA Group has a very clear strategic path, one that I was a part of the team that defined it and I look forward to playing my part in achieving those goals with determination, responsibility, and hard work.”

About UBA Plc
United Bank for Africa Plc is one of Africa’s leading financial institutions offering universal banking to more than 7 million customer accounts. The opening of UBA Zambia brings to 15 the number of African countries where UBA Group has presence: Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Chad, Benin, and Gabon together with presence in New York, London, and Paris.

UBA has over the past year rapidly expanded its network, positioning itself as the bank of choice for wholesale and retail clients in Africa and for Africa-related businesses, demonstrating in action its positioning as “Africa’s Global Bank”. The physical expansion has been matched by the launch of a series of products designed specifically to address the key needs of African clients, whether individuals, companies, or governments, in facilitating money transfer and cash management, trade finance, and access to credit.

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Source(s): United Bank for Africa (UBA)