Union Bank’s Emuwa unveils Okonkwo as successor, sounds NSE closing gong

Union Bank’s Emuwa unveils Okonkwo as successor, sounds NSE closing gong

The management of Union Bank of Nigeria Plc, was on the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX Group) platform Monday, to honour outgoing Chief Executive Officer, Emeka Emuwa and introduce his successor CEO, Emeka Okonkwo to the capital market community during a digital closing gong ceremony.

Welcoming the visitors, the Divisional Head, Listings Business, Nigerian Exchange Limited, Olumide Bolumole said the ceremony was to enable the nation’s capital market community an opportunity to pay tribute to the illustrious career of Emuwa at Union Bank.

He recalled, primarily that under the leadership of the ongoing CEO, the bank “maintained steady operational momentum, which in 2020 resulted in the first dividend payment to shareholders in over ten years.”

This, he continued, is “a truly remarkable milestone in the bank’s transformation and turnaround strategy.”

With the bank making its transition to Emeka Okonkwo, as new CEO, Bolumole reassured “the leadership of Union Bank Plc that NGX will remain its trusted business partner in achieving strategic business objectives.”

Speaking at the occasion, the outgoing chief executive expressed honour to at sounding the closing gong as he steps down, recalling that at the point he joined Union Bank, “the mission was clear, to transform the bank and return it to the path of sustainable growth and profitability, and increase shareholder value.

“This involved the redefinition of our strategy which resulted in robust investments in our protocols and platforms. Looking back, I am proud to see how far we have come and the progress we have made to transform Union Bank Plc into a leading provider of financial services today.”

This, he noted, is the result of “a collective effort by many in the bank and what we have today is an institution that is properly positioned to compete favourably in the market and in the hearts of our customers.”

For Okonkwo, the incoming CEO, “over the past eight years, a significant amount of work has gone into building the Union Bank we see today and I am glad to have been a part of this process.

“As we move ahead, our focus remains to create greater value for all our stakeholders particularly our customers and shareholders. We have a clear vision to be Nigeria’s most reliable and trusted partner and we will continue to drive customer acquisition and channel optimisation through reliable digital channels and self-service platforms.

“We will also continue to provide compelling and innovative products to drive customer transaction growth and service delivery, whilst deepening our relationship with key stakeholders including NGX Group as we move towards our goal,” he stressed further.

Both Emuwa and Okonkwo were thereafter given the honour of sounding the digital Closing Gong to the applause of NGX executives, the Doyen of the Market, Sam Ndata, and other members of the stockbroking community.