LAGOS: Access Holdings Plc has appointed Ifeyinwa Osime as chairman of the board of Access Bank Plc, its flagship banking subsidiary.
Her appointment follows the retirement of Paul Usoro, who stepped down on January 29 after completing his regulatory tenure limit, according to a statement issued Tuesday by company secretary Sunday Ekwochi.
Osime, a seasoned legal practitioner with extensive experience in corporate governance and strategic leadership, first joined the Access Bank board in November 2019 as an independent non-executive director.
Before her elevation, she chaired both the board human resources and sustainability committee and the board governance, nomination and remuneration committee, contributing significantly to governance, leadership development and sustainability initiatives.
Beyond Access Bank, she serves as a director at Ebudo Trust Limited and is a partner at McPherson Legal Practitioners, where she advises on corporate and commercial legal matters while supporting the firm’s strategic direction.
Her previous board roles include independent non-executive director at Coronation Insurance Plc, chairman of Coronation Life Insurance Company Ltd, and non-executive director at Bank PHB, now Keystone Bank Limited.
Osime began her professional career at Nigeria Reinsurance Corporation before moving to African Development Insurance Company Limited, now NSIA Insurance, where she served as company secretary and assistant general manager for administration and legal.
A law graduate of the University of Benin, she was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. She also holds a Master of Laws in Commercial and Corporate Law from the London School of Economics and has attended executive education programmes at institutions such as INSEAD, IMD, Harvard Business School, MIT and Stanford.
Commenting on the appointment, Access Holdings group chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede described Osime as a principled and experienced leader with a strong understanding of the bank’s strategy and values.
He expressed confidence that her leadership would help the bank continue delivering sustainable value to shareholders and stakeholders while advancing its ambition to become the world’s most respected African bank.
He also commended Paul Usoro for his contributions and leadership during his tenure.
