Ecobank Group Appoints Eric Odhiambo as Group Executive, Corporate & Investment Banking as Akin Dada Attains Retirement Age

Ecobank Group, the leading pan-African Banking Group, has appointed Mr. Eric Odhiambo as Group Executive, Corporate & Investment Banking following Akin Dada attaining retirement age.

Mr. Akin Dada, the Group Executive, Corporate & Investment Banking recently retired from the Ecobank Group having reached the retirement age of 60. In line with the Group’s succession plan, Mr. Eric Odhiambo has been appointed as Group Executive, Corporate & Investment Banking to replace Akin Dada. Eric was the Group Chief Risk Officer since September 2017, prior to this appointment.

Prior to his retirement, Akin Dada had over 30 years of banking experience in client coverage, strategic transaction initiation and advisory dialogues across various client segments, including public sector, telecoms, FMCG and oil and gas. He joined the Ecobank Group in 2017 after 26 years with Citigroup in various roles in the Corporate & Investment Banking as Senior Transactor, Senior Relationship Banker and Business Development Manager. While at Citi, he handled a wide array of transactions in Loan Syndications, Project Finance, Corporate Finance and Advisory, and was Managing Director for Citigroup Cameroon.

Eric Odhiambo Profile

The new Group Executive, Corporate & Investment Banking, Eric Odhiambo, joined the Ecobank Group in September 2017 as Group Chief Risk Officer. This followed 14 years with Citigroup in various senior management roles including Head Risk Analysis and Remedial Management, Country Risk Manager, Regional Head of Risk Management in Africa and Turkey & the CIS and was also a Senior Credit Officer, among other roles.

He led various credit structuring and approvals from an Independent Risk point of view while also participating with deal teams from Corporate & Investment Banking, Corporate Finance, Project Finance, Derivative Structures and Trade Transaction Services in actualising transactions. Eric provided continuous coaching and on-the-job training to Credit Officers across the businesses, reviewing and assigning credit limits. Eric has served on various Bank Board positions as a Non- Executive Director including his current role as an NED on the Board of Ecobank Nigeria.

He is strongly focused on business development and brings a wealth of experience to our Corporate and Investment Banking segment. He also previously worked with Atlas Mara and with ABN AMRO Bank in Kenya, during his 30 years banking career.

Ade Ayeyemi, CEO, Ecobank Group said: “In the last five years with Ecobank, Akin has made very impactful contributions. His invaluable and varied experience over many years in corporate banking, as well as his broader knowledge of banking, credit and risk management, ideally positioned him to lead our Group Corporate and Investment Banking business. I thank Akin for his significant contributions and wish him a very happy and fruitful retirement.”

In congratulating Eric Odhiambo on his new role, Ade Ayeyemi stated: “Eric is a vastly knowledgeable banker with strong expertise in business development, credit structuring and understanding as well as risk management. He has immense capacity to ensure the realisation of the strategic goals of our Corporate & Investment Banking business in the areas of loans, trade finance, advisory services and cross-border payments. I have no doubt that the strong leadership that he exhibited as our Group Chief Risk Officer in the last four years, will be replicated in his new
role”.