Segun Agbaje
Mr. Segun Agbaje is the Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, a leading African banking group operating from an extensive branch outlay in Nigeria and banking subsidiaries in Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote D’Ivoire, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and the United Kingdom. With over 20 years of investment and international banking experience, Mr. Agbaje oversees the general management of the bank’s day-to-day operations and has earned a reputation as a truly accomplished and highly respected professional within Africa. Under his leadership Guaranty Trust Bank plc has successfully gained impressive year on year market share and etched a position as the most profitable bank in Nigeria consecutively for the last 4 years. His deep understanding of complex business scenarios have enabled the Bank undertake large ticket transactions in financial advisory, structured and project finance, balance sheet restructuring, debt and equity capital raising in the Nigerian Energy, Telecommunications, Financial Services and Manufacturing sectors. Mr. Agbaje has been very instrumental in Guaranty Trust Bank’s foray into the international capital markets over the years. This has translated into 3 major transactions: a US$350 million Regulations Eurobond in January 2007, a US$750 million Global Depository Receipts (GDR) offer that same year and a US$500 million Eurobond in 2011 and a US$400million Eurobond offering the Bank undertook during the year (the second tranche under the Bank’s US$2billion Global Medium Term Programme. The listing of the GDRs on the London Stock Exchange made Guaranty Trust Bank the first Nigerian company and African bank to be listed on the Main Market of the London Bourse, while the US$500 million Eurobond was the first Sub-Saharan Africa financial sector benchmark Eurobond issued without a sovereign guarantee or credit enhancement from any international financial institution. In 2012 & 2013, Mr. Segun Agbaje received the African Banker of the Year Award from the African Banker and Euromoney respectively due to the year on year outstanding performance of the Bank. Under his leadership, Guaranty Trust Bank plc has also received numerous accolades and commendations for exceptional service delivery, innovation, corporate governance, corporate social responsibility and management quality. These international and national awards include the 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 Best Bank in Nigeria Awards from Euromoney, the 2013 Best Bank in Africa Awards from the African Banker Magazine and the 2011 Best Bank in Nigeria Award from EMEA Finance Awards. His belief that service quality, innovation and technological advancement are critical factors that influence customer choices, has continued to define the operations of the bank; leading to the introduction of several innovative products and service channels that are industry firsts. Mr. Agbaje is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and holds a B.Sc and MBA from the University of San Francisco, USA. He joined Guaranty Trust Bank as a pioneer staff in 1991, after a rewarding stint at Ernst & Young, San Francisco, USA and subsequently rose through the ranks to become an Executive Director in January 2000 and Deputy Managing Director of the Bank in August 2002. He was appointed Managing Director/CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc in June 2011.