By Chinwendu Obienyi
Diamond Bank Plc has appointed Dele Babade, an Advisor to Carlyle Group’s sub-Saharan Africa Fund, to its Board of Directors to replace Carlyle Group’s existing representative Genevieve Sangudi, who has served on the board since 2013.
Juliet Anammah, a retail and eCommerce specialist and Aisha Muhammed-Oyebode, a CSR and community expert, will also join Diamond Bank’s board as Non-Executive Directors to help develop the board’s expertise and diversity.
Commenting on the appointments, Chairman, Diamond Bank, Chris Ogbechie, said, “I am delighted that Dele will be joining Diamond Bank’s board as he brings with him a wealth of experience in the financial services sector and capital markets in sub-Saharan Africa. His experience and expertise will help maintain our strong commitment to the highest governance standards and help support our continued success as Nigeria’s fastest growing retail bank.”
He further said, “Juliet and Aisha are also welcome additions to the board, with each bringing unique skills. In particular, Juliet’s track record in eCommerce and technology will help us remain a leader in digital banking and underpins the commitment to our technology-led retail strategy.
“Aisha’s deep understanding of social issues coupled with her business acumen, means she is superbly placed to support Diamond Bank’s efforts to make a positive contribution to Nigerian society by providing banking services to the under-banked and those unbanked altogether, particularly women and those in rural communities.”
Ogbechie thereafter thanked Sangudi for her hard work and dedication to Diamond Bank over the past three years, adding that her contribution has been hugely valuable.
Babade, who has almost 30 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including as Chief Executive of Ecobank Capital, was appointed as an Advisor to Carlyle Group’s sub-Saharan Africa team in March 2017 while Anammah comes from a consumer goods, sales and marketing background and currently serves as the CEO of Jumia after more than a decade at Accenture. Muhammed-Oyebode’s expertise is in social responsibility and financial services and she has been the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation.