Following the recent tragic death of Dr Herbert Wigwe, former chairman and acting group chief executive officer of Access Holdings, the board of directors of the financial group has said it is already in the process of appointing a new acting group CEO.
The group’s statement read: “In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence.”
The Group also officially acknowledged the passing of Wigwe, expressing deep sadness for losing ‘a key driving force and a larger-than-life personality’.
According to the statement: “It is with deep sadness that the Board of Directors of Access Holdings Pic (‘the Company’) announces the passing of Dr. Herbert Wigwe, CFR, the Company’s founding Group Chief Executive Officer and former Group Managing Director of its flagship subsidiary Access Bank Pic (‘the Bank’). Dr. Wigwe died alongside his wife and son on Friday, February 9, 2024 in a helicopter accident in the United States of America.
“The entire Access Family mourns the loss of Herbert, Doreen and Chuzi. We extend our deep and sincere sympathies to his family and loved ones. Dr. Wigwe was a key driving force and a larger-than-life personality who brought his remarkable passion, energy, and experience to the transformation of the Access franchise since joining the Bank in 2002.
BUSINESS METRICS reported that Wigwe and five others including his wife and a son, feared dead as a helicopter conveying them in California, United States of America, crashed on Friday evening, leading to the deaths of the passengers.
Since the completion of the last mile of its evolution to a holding company in March 2022, Access Holdings had seen impressive growth and positive performace.
The financial group is a conglomerate with an asset base of over of N21.4 trillion that earned it the appellation of the largest financial institution in Nigeria.
As at the last closing, the company maintained a market capitalization of N879.74 billion at the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX), after it had recently hit one trillion naira mark.
Wigwe journey at Access Bank started in 2002 when he joined the institution as Deputy Managing Director.
He played a pivotal role in the evolution of the bank and in 2014, Wigwe assumed the mantle of Managing Director, succeeding Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede.
Under his leadership, Access Bank embarked on a remarkable journey of expansion, extending its reach far beyond the confines of Nigeria.
Before his untimely passing, Wigwe was serving as the Chairman of Access Bank (UK) Limited, and Non-Executive Director of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc and FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange.
