Greenwich Holdings Limited has appointed Mr Samson Ariyibi as its pioneer Group Managing Director, following receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals and ahead of the formal commencement of business operations.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to The PUNCH on Monday.

Earlier this year, The PUNCH reported that the Central Bank of Nigeria approved a financial holding company structure, Greenwich Holdings Limited, for Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited. Upon commencement of operations, Greenwich Holdings Limited will oversee Greenwich Merchant Bank Limited, Greenwich Asset Management Limited and Greenwich Securities Limited, while driving the Group’s expansion.

On the new appointment, the Chairman of the Board, Mr Kayode Falowo, said, “The Board is delighted to welcome Ariyibi to the Greenwich Group. His appointment reflects our commitment to strong governance, strategic leadership and operational excellence as we embark on this important new phase of our corporate evolution.”

A seasoned executive with over 34 years of experience, Ariyibi has held senior positions across financial services, insurance underwriting, pensions and conglomerate management. He began his career at Ernst & Young in 1991 before joining Price Waterhouse (now PwC) in 1996, where he quickly earned recognition for his diligence, competence and exceptional work ethic.

He was the immediate past Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of First Holdco Plc, where he strengthened group-wide financial governance and operational frameworks. Joining First Holdco Plc in 2013 as one of the pioneer staff members, he led the Finance team and operationalised the Financial Holding Company structure approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria. Before this, he served as Group CFO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, playing a pivotal role in its corporate turnaround.

His early career included senior finance roles at Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, National Bank of Nigeria (now Wema Bank), Standard Trust Bank (now UBA), First Atlantic Bank (now FCMB) and Pensions Alliance Limited, complemented by board leadership roles within the First Holdco Group.

Ariyibi holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Ilorin and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Lagos. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, a Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria member and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Directors of Nigeria. His executive development includes programmes at Harvard, Wharton, London Business School, Kellogg Advanced Management Programme and the Global CEO Programme delivered by IESE Business School and MIT Sloan. He is also a recipient of the prestigious Knight of John Wesley award and is married with children.

With his proven leadership, deep industry expertise and strategic vision, the Board is confident that Ariyibi will guide Greenwich Holdings Limited towards sustainable growth as they look towards the formal commencement of Holdco’s business operations.

Greenwich, established in 1994, is a leading Nigerian financial services group with core interests in merchant banking, asset management, securities trading and advisory services.