Kenya’s former Absa CEO Jeremy Awori assumes office at Ecobank Group

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AGENCIES | Jeremy Awori, Kenya’s seasoned banker, has officially joined Ecobank as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a few months after exiting Absa Bank Kenya.

Awori was appointed Pan-African lender CEO in September of last year, succeeding Ade Ayeyemi, who retired. He joins from Absa, where he has been for about 10 years.

Prior, Awori served in leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank across the Middle East and Africa.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity to take Ecobank to the next level of its growth strategy. Despite current global challenges, Africa offers promising prospects,” the new CEO said.

“Ecobank is uniquely positioned to provide systematic change across the banking sector at a pan-African level, using the geographic footprint it has already established.”

Ecobank has operations in 35 African countries with an asset base of Sh3.3 trillion and more than 32 million customers across the continent.

“Jeremy Awori’s exceptional and proven qualities as a result-oriented effective leader with an extensive knowledge of the African banking landscape, make him the ideal choice to steer the growth of the Ecobank Group through the current era of rapid global and continental changes,” Ecobank Group Chairman Alain Nkontchou said.

Skills training

Meanwhile, Ecobank Group, through its Commercial Banking division and supported by the Ecobank Academy, has partnered with Visa to provide micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across Ecobank’s footprint with access to Visa’s Practical Business Skills educational resource.

The online training forms part of the Ecobank’s MSME Booster series and offers online learning tools for MSMEs seeking growth as they prepare for the new business year.

The course has been specially designed to cater for the needs of both seasoned business owners and startups eager to take their business to the next level.

Participants will learn from key modules including financial management, how to promote a business, managing employees, creating a business plan and digitising their business amongst others.

SMEs are at the heart of Africa’s economic growth where they provide up to 80% of the region’s employment and are the force behind a new middle class, fueling demand for new goods and services.

The training course is part of Ecobank’s mission to help MSMEs sharpen their business skills and make an immense contribution to the continent’s economic fortunes.

“MSMEs across Africa are collectively critical to the achievement of many of the sustainable development goals and that is why we place great emphasis on their upskilling. We are delighted to partner with Visa on a training programme that will help them understand how to get started, how to manage a business and how to navigate the tough process of building and growing a business,” said acting Group Executive, Commercial Banking & Deputy Managing Director Ecobank Nigeria, Carol Oyedeji.

Other similar initiatives run by Ecobank to support SMEs included the Global Skilling Progamme, collaboration with Microsoft, LinkedIn and GitHub to upskill and equip SMEs and their employees with digital skills at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.