ECOBANK NAMES AWORI CEO

With plans for the company’s headquarters to move to Lagos in the near future, Awori arrives at a significant transitional moment for Ecobank Group as it continues its postpandemic recovery.

Kenyan banker Jeremy Awori has been appointed as the new CEO of the West Africa-based Ecobank Group, replacing the retiring Ade Ayeyemi who, as CEO, has been a driving force behind the bank’s realisation of its pan-african ambitions since his appointment in September 2015. “I look forward to consolidating the transformation of Ecobank, a truly panafrican institution full of talented people, while innovating to create value for all of Ecobank’s stakeholders”, pledged Awori following the announcement.

He arrives at Ecobank after almost a decade as CEO of Absa Bank in Kenya, where he recently directed a complete overhaul of the branch’s brand in 2020. Returning Ecobank to its pre-pandemic growth and furthering the development of digital finance products will be high on the incoming CEO’S agenda. The first half of 2022 saw a recovery in investor confidence after a tough period defined by the pandemic’s impact on growth, especially in large Ecobank markets like Nigeria.

Ayeyemi leaves Ecobank in good stead. As of September 2022, the group has a larger pan-african footprint than any other commercial bank. Operating in 33 of the continent’s 54 countries, Ecobank partners provide over 32m customers with access to bank and deposit accounts, loans, cash management, advisory facilities and trade, securities, wealth, and asset management services.