The Board of Directors of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, the parent company of the Ecobank Group, has announced the appointment of a Nigerian, Ayo Adepoju, to the Board as Group Executive Director.
According to a statement on Friday, the appointment became effective on Wednesday. Before his appointment, Adepoju was the Group Chief Financial Officer.
ETI indicated that Adepoju’s expertise spans financial management, capital markets, strategic planning, capital raising and structuring, treasury management, investor relations, business performance management, governance, enterprise transformation, financial due diligence, internal control, and risk-based audit.
“As a distinguished finance executive, he has been instrumental in shaping the Group’s financial transformation, capital strategy, and long-term resilience. Since joining Ecobank in 2012, he has held several key leadership positions, including Group Financial Controller, Group Head of Business Performance and Analytics, and currently Group CFO.
“Over the years, Ayo has led numerous strategic initiatives, including landmark capital market transactions such as Eurobonds, Basel III-compliant instruments, and sustainability-linked debt. These efforts have significantly enhanced Ecobank’s presence in international capital markets and strengthened transparency and investor engagement,” the statement partly read.
Before joining Ecobank, he worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers in London and Lagos, serving in the Financial Services Practice.
Commenting on the appointment, the Chairman of the Ecobank Group, Papa Madiaw Ndiaye, said, “On behalf of my fellow directors, I commend Ayo for his outstanding performance and warmly welcome him to the ETI board. His proven leadership has fostered trusted relationships with the Board and made this appointment both natural and strategic for the Group’s future.
“I believe that Ayo embodies Ecobank’s renewed talent philosophy, a homegrown leader with global exposure and a compelling track record. His intellect, integrity, and impact-driven leadership have long been evident. His appointment to the Board is a testament to our belief in recognising and elevating excellence from within.”
Group Chief Executive Officer, Jeremy Awori, added: “Ayo has played a critical role in strengthening Ecobank’s financial resilience and enabling sustainable business growth. His ability to manage complexity, innovate in financial strategy, align finance with enterprise-wide transformation, and lead collaboratively has made him a critical member of our executive team. I look forward to deepening our partnership as we drive forward our Growth, Transformation, and Returns strategy.”
Ayo holds a First-Class Honours degree from the University of Lagos and is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, UK. He also holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and a PhD in Organisational Leadership from Regent University, USA.
He has completed executive education programs at Wharton, London Business School, and, most recently in 2024, the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. An official member of the Forbes Finance Council, he is also a published author and respected thought leader in finance and organisational strategy.
