Wigwe: Access Holdings Announces Agbede as Acting GCEO

Bolaji Agbede has been appointed as the Acting Group Chief Executive Officer following the unfortunate death of Herbert Wigwe.

The board of Directors of Access Holdings Plc disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Until her appointment, Ms. Agbede was the most senior founding executive director in charge of business support within the company.

She will take the helm of the affairs of Access Holdings Plc subject to the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

This transition marks a significant point in the company’s history as it navigates the challenges of sudden leadership change.

With an impressive professional background that spans nearly three decades, Agbede’s career trajectory in banking and business consultancy services has equipped her with a rich blend of expertise and strategic acumen.

Her journey began in 1992 at Guaranty Trust Bank.

She steadily climbed the ranks to managerial positions by 2001 and eventually took on the role of Chief Executive Officer at JKG Limited, a business consulting firm, in 2003.

Her association with Access Bank Plc commenced in 2003 as an Assistant General Manager responsible for managing the bank’s portfolio of chemical trading companies.

Her leadership qualities and strategic insight led her to assume the Bank’s Head, Group Human Resources position between 2010 and 2022.

She was then elevated to the role of Access Holdings Plc’s founding Executive Director, Business Support, where she played a pivotal role in successfully integrating business units and transforming the company’s culture.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Lagos (1990) and a Master of Business Administration from Cranfield University in 2002.

She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management, UK, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria.

Agbede has attended several renowned leadership and professional development programmes, including the High-Performance Leadership Programme organised by the IMD and the Strategic Talent Management Programme organised by the London Business School.

Recall that Wigwe, together with his wife and son, as well as the former Chairman of Nigerian Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbanjo, died in a chopper crash in California, United States, on Friday.