Board of Directors

MANAGING DIRECTOR / CEO

Chijioke Wamadi Ejilemele is a graduate of University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria with M.Sc degree in Economics (Monetary Economics major) and Post Graduate Diploma in Development Economics. He equally trained at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria graduating in 1991 with Post Graduate Diploma and M.Sc in Food Science & Technology. Prior to that, he had obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and in 1998 he obtained Post Graduate Diploma in Business Studies from University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

An alumnus of the London Business School, Executive Management and Leadership Program. In the last twenty seven years he attended several local and international technical courses in finance, treasury, business management, marketing & relationship management; credit portfolio management and banking operations. Other trainings were project management, international trade finance, risk management, business economics, controls and regulations. He is a Member of Nigeria Institute of Management.

He started his banking career in 1993 in Lagos with the Treasury Operations and Funds Transfer departments of Citizens Bank Ltd. His basic banking skills were developed there, working in all core departments of Banking Operations

Quickly he rose to the position of Corporate/Institutional Banking Group Head in 2001 with First City Monument Bank, Plc, Port Harcourt. In 2003 he was appointed the Manager of its only main branch in Port Harcourt. He was responsible for significantly turning around the financial performance of the bank by over 350% in key parameters and profitability by over 180%. He was a key player in the development of the bank’s franchise in the South-South region of Nigeria

Chijioke was hired in 2005 by Zenith bank as Manager responsible for developing the bank’s Oil & Gas businesses in Nigeria’s Main Oil and Gas Operational area of Port Harcourt. The new products and services introduced with his team ensured multi-billion naira and multi-million dollar portfolios management growth of over 175%. The businesses included the International Oil Companies and other multinational organizations. He was subsequently, appointed to lead the bank’s business in Yenagoa and Aba Road, Port Harcourt branches as a Senior Manager. In 2012 he was elevated to Assistant General Manager Position and Zonal Head covering parts of Rivers and Bayelsa States. He and his team in a disciplined fashion executed the strategies that transformed the zone to a high performing and exemplary one. Along his career path, he equally worked in some departments of the bank’s Corporate Head Office, Lagos.

His core areas of expertise and practice include transformational team building, business development and strong relationship management, retail banking, emerging markets enterprises, infrastructural financing, public sector finance, Oil & Gas businesses, international trade finance, treasury management, financial intermediation and general banking. His business Economics skills are veritable assets to his organization, varied clients with diverse portfolios, and colleagues. He has successfully deployed these skills and senior management experiences with his teams to significantly grow business portfolios of both local and international corporations. These are not limited to developing and managing big ticket names but also quantum growths in asset portfolios, deposit base, revenue and profitability and equally staying two digits below budgeted costs.

A very passionate leader, banker, business Manager and Professional coach. He is focused on building excellent productive teams, using modern technology and best practices in exceeding deliverables to customers and providing exceptional values to all stake holders even in the most challenging environment. He was appointed the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank (Sierra Leone) Ltd in November 2019.

He is married with children. He loves traveling, reading, sports, hiking and wild life conservation activities.

DIRECTOR

Mr. Balla Ahmed Sinkunia Kamara is a seasoned quantity surveyor trained in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He holds Bachelor of Science (B.sc) in Building Economics and Quantity Surveying from Herriot Watt University, Edinburg, Scotland (1982). He presently serves as the Managing Director of Quanticost Associates Ltd, a firm practicing as Quantity Surveyors, Construction Cost Consultants & Property Valuers. He has served and still serving  as board member in several organisations among which are Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (Board Chairman, 2008 to 2015), Reliance Insurance Trust Corporation (RITCORP), Sierra Leone Ltd(2017 to present).

Mrs Boi-Jeneh Jalloh is the Executive Director of Foundation for Rural and Urban Transformation (FoRUT). She holds BA in Education(University of Sierra Leone, 1988) and MA in Population Studies(University of Legon, Ghana, 1989). She lectured at Milton Margai College of Education and Technology between 1990 and 1991. She also worked with Ministry of Development and Economic Planning Government of Sierra Leone(1991-1993). She was a  Program/Development Specialist with USAID and Sierra Leone Government between 2006 and 2014. She was a former director with Council of Churches in Sierra Leone(CCSL) form 1998 to 2006. She is also a consultant to many Government and Non-governmental institutions.

Mr. Felix is the Chief Risk Officer of the bank. He is a Deputy General Manager (DGM) and Currently the Group Head, Risk Management Group of the bank. He participated in the establishment of a robust Risk Management function in the bank.

Mr. Egbon joined the service of the bank in May 2006 with the responsibility for branch coordination and subsequently Internal Control and Audit and was responsible for review and enforcement of the bank's procedures, controls and policies in branches bankwide.

He is a fellow, Institute of Chartered Accounts of Nigeria(ICAN), honorary member, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and Senior member, Risk Management Association of Nigeria.

Prior to his engagement with Zenith Bank, he had worked with Price waterhouse Coopers as Audit Senior, Auditing and Business Advisory Services, United Bank for Africa Plc as the Principal Manager in charge of branch coordination, Internal Control and Audit responsible for review and enforcement of procedures, controls and policies in the bank branches.

COUNTRY HEAD OF OPERATIONS

Patrick Ebiega is the Country Head of Operations of the Bank. A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), with over two (2) decades of Banking experience. He holds a B.Sc. Hons (second class upper division) from the University of Jos Nigeria, in 1996. An MBA(Banking & Finance) from University of Nigeria in 2001 and an M.Sc. in Project Management from Enugu State University of Technology in 2017

He started his Banking career in 1998. He worked in branch  operations  of other banks covering funds transfer, cash & teller, customers services etc. before joining Zenith Bank 2001

He has experience in business development units as marketing officer, unit head, Head of corporate banking before being promoted to a manager in 2007. He has pioneered and managed several branches of the Bank before he was transferred to Internal Control & Audit Dept., head office Lagos where he supervised the Banks' fraud desk, Verification and confirmation unit.

Prior to being seconded to Sierra Leone, he was the Head of Corporate Audit overseeing the Audit of Treasury, Correspondence banking, Trades services, Domestic operations and credit risk management group.

He has had several internal and external trainings.