Ecobank Group CEO wins 'African Banker of the Year ’ award

The award recognisesthe contribution of individuals in management positions, and best practices in African banking. It is sponsored by London-based IC publications under the patronage of the African Development Bank. Essien was one of five contenders for the African Banker of the Year award. Others chief executives competing with the pan-African bank’s CEO were Segun Agbaje of Nigeria’s GT Bank, Paulo Alexandre Duarte de Sousa of Banco Comercial e de Investimentos of Mozambique,  Charles  Kimei of Tanzania’s Cooperative  Rural  Development  Bank
Bank plc and Tariq Sijilmassi of Morocco’s Groupe Credit Agricole.

 

Accepting the award, Essien said: “I am deeply honoured to receive this award. It comes as a surprise to me because although I have worked for Ecobank for the last 25 years, I have only been Group CEO for just over a year. I therefore accept this award on behalf of the  staff  of  Ecobank,  for  they  are  the  ones  to  whom  I  attribute  the  real  success  of  our institution
in  its  service  to  the  people  of  our  continent. I  also  want  to  thank our  host, IC publications,the organisers of these awards, and the esteemed panel of judges for this distinction.”

 

The award is the  second  received  within  the group this month.  On the  22nd of May Ecobank  was  named African  Retail  Bank  of  the  Year at  the  Global  Retail Banking Awards ceremony in London. The bank also received a nomination in last night’s African Banker Awards in the Best Retail Bank of the Year category.