appointment of Engr. Henry Ikem Obih as an Independent Non-Executive
Director with effect from September 21, 2020, and Dr. Kenneth Onyewuchi
Opara as an Executive Director.
The appointments have been approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN).
Dr. Opara will assume office as the Executive Director in charge of the
Lagos & South West Directorate on January 1, 2021, taking over
leadership of the Directorate from Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe who was
recently appointed Managing Director/CEO – Designate.
Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe will succeed Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo who retires as
Managing Director/CEO on December 31, 2020, upon the completion of his
contract tenure in line with the internal policies of the Bank.
“Both appointments are in furtherance of our positioning for the next
growth phase. We welcome Henry and Ken to the Board and believe they
will make significant contributions that will sustain the performance
trajectory of the Bank in line with our strategic intent” said Mr.
Mustafa Chike-Obi, Chairman, Board of Directors, Fidelity Bank Plc.
Engr. Obih was the Group Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer
(GED/COO), Downstream, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)
until his retirement in 2019 and was subsequently appointed to the Board
of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) in July 2020.
He joins the Board of Fidelity Bank Plc with significant
cross-functional work experience and exposure spanning over three (3)
decades, across different climes including Africa, Europe, Asia and the
Americas. He has extensive experience in project and performance
management, manufacturing and operations management, sales and
marketing, strategy and business planning/analysis, business
development/re-engineering, general management, corporate governance and
risk management.
Prior to joining NNPC as GED/COO in 2016, Engr. Obih had a stellar
22-year career at Mobil Oil Nigeria (ExxonMobil Nigeria Downstream) and
held several high-profile positions in the company including being
Executive Director, Retail and Executive Director, Operations, Customer
Service and Logistics.
His recent leadership roles include board positions at Nigeria Gas
Marketing Company Limited, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company
Limited, NNPC Retail Limited, NIDAS Marine Limited (a subsidiary of NNPC
in joint venture with Daewoo Industries South Korea), NIKORMA Limited (a
subsidiary of NNPC in joint venture with Hyundai Heavy Industries South
Korea) and Duke Oil Company Inc.
Engr. Obih holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the
University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and an MBA in Financial Management
from the University of Bradford, Yorkshire, England.
His professional affiliations include membership of the Institute of
Directors, Society for Corporate Governance and Council for the
Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN); Nigerian Institution of
Mechanical Engineers; Institute of Credit Administration and Fellow of
the Nigerian Society of Engineers.
He has attended executive programs in leadership, strategy, finance,
corporate governance, and business management at some of the world’s
leading institutions including Columbia Business School, New York,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), IMD Lausanne, Switzerland,
London Business School and Lagos Business School, Nigeria.
Dr. Opara who currently serves as General Manager/Regional Bank Head,
Ikeja Region, has over 29 years’ experience in banking and worked at
various financial institutions including legacy Omega Bank Plc,
Equatorial Trust Bank Plc and Manny Bank Plc, before joining Fidelity
Bank Plc in 2006, following its merger with Manny Bank Plc.
He has core-banking experience in diverse areas of banking including
Credit, Treasury, Retail, Consumer and Commercial Banking, International
Operations and Corporate Banking and has held senior management
positions in the industry including Divisional Head, Managed SMEs,
Multilateral Agencies & Trade Missions; Division Head, SMEs, Electronic
& Consumer Banking; Head, Private & Consumer Banking, Head, Affinity
Banking & Corporate Consumer Banking; and Head Consumer & Commercial
Banking.
“The appointment of Ken is well deserved and in line with our succession
planning policy. He has made significant contributions to the growth of
the Region as well as the various Divisions he has headed in the Bank”
said Fidelity Bank’s MD/CEO, Mr. Nnamdi Okonkwo.
Dr. Opara has attended executive management programs at Harvard Business
School, Kellogg School of Management, Wharton, INSEAD and Lagos Business
School amongst others. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of
Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and an active member of the Institute’s
Governing Council, where he currently serves as 1st Vice President,
having previously served as 2nd Vice President and National Treasurer of
the Institute.
He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Finance and Master of
Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and
a Ph.D. in Credit Management from International University of Panama.