Sterling HoldCo adds two new directors to its board

Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc has named Olubisi Makoju as an Independent Non-Executive Director. Olayinka Oni has also been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Sterling Bank Limited. This news was shared in a regulatory filing on Friday, signed by the company's secretary, Sunny Kanabe. The firm said these appointments aim to boost the leadership of both organizations. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has approved the appointments, as stated by the financial institution. “We wish to notify Nigerian Exchange Limited, our valued shareholders, and the investing public of the appointment of new Directors to the Boards of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc (Holdco) and Sterling Bank Ltd (the Bank). The Central Bank of Nigeria has approved the appointments,” the holding company stated.

Profiles

As per the company, Ms Makoju brings over 25 years of experience in finance. Her background includes work in oil and gas, consulting, information technology, and financial services. She has skills in financial management, corporate strategy, operational leadership, and organizational transformation. Currently, she is the Chief Financial Officer of Smart Grid Development Limited and founded Earthwise Capital Limited. Before her current job, she was an executive director and chief operating officer at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA). At NSIA, she led strategic initiatives and managed various teams.

Ms Makoju earned her degree in accounting from Obafemi Awolowo University and has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Warwick. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) in the UK.

Olayinka Oni

In the same announcement, Mr Oni has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Sterling Bank Limited, the bank's subsidiary. He is currently an Executive Director at Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc. Before joining the holding company's board, he was the Chief Digital Officer at Sterling Bank, where he managed the bank’s digital strategy.

Prior to his time at Sterling Group, he worked as the Chief Technology Officer at Microsoft Nigeria. In that role, he oversaw technology strategy and stakeholder engagement. He also served as Chief Information Officer/General Manager, IT and Operations, at Wema Bank Plc, and was a manager at Accenture’s Nigerian practice.

Mr Oni studied Agricultural Economics at the University of Ilorin. He is also an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. Additionally, he holds a master’s degree in management from McGill University in Canada. The company noted that his expertise includes solutions engineering, program management, enterprise architecture, and IT governance. He has attended executive education programs in business strategy and financial skills at notable institutions like Harvard University, Saïd Business School, the University of Oxford, INSEAD, and MIT.