8 •
The Lion King
• January - March 2016
most recent experience of manag-
ing the Group’s increasingly important
African business is particularly rele-
vant, as we all work to build one of the
leading financial services franchises in
Africa.”
Uzoka is a graduate of Mechanical
Engineering from University of Benin
and holds a Masters Degree in Business
Administration from University of Lagos.
The smooth change of leadership at
UBA is a testimony to the resilience of
UBA’s leadership succession planning,
which is being tested for the second
time. In 2010, when the Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) came out with a
new regulation compelling all Group
Managing Directors of banks that
have spent a minimum of 10 years to
relinquish their position, UBA was the
first bank to immediately announce
a successor to the outgoing Group
Managing Director and CEO, Mr. Tony
Elumelu.
Phillips Oduoza, who was the most
senior Executive Director and then one
of the two Deputy Managing Directors
at the time, succeeded Elumelu. It was
a seamless transition which also saw
the appointment of Kennedy Uzoka
as Deputy Managing Director in 2010.
Now after two terms of three years
each, Oduoza is retiring and making
way for Kennedy Uzoka.
Already, in line with the bank’s succes-
sion planning, another tested hand,
Victor Osadolor was announced as
the Deputy Managing Director, UBA
Group. Osadolor also brings a strong
finance and risk background, hav-
ing previously served as the Executive
Director, Risk and Finance at UBA.
Osadolor also held the position of
Chief Strategy Officer at Ecobank
Transnational Incorporated.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree
in Accounting and is a Fellow of the
Chartered Institute of Accountants of
Nigeria. He also holds the Advanced
Management Programme Certificate
from the Harvard Business School.
Elumelu expressed his appreciation
to the outgoing Group Managing
Director and CEO, Phillips Oduoza for
taking the bank’s performance to new
heights.
“I would also like to take the oppor-
tunity to thank Phillips; for all that
he has done for the Bank in guiding
UBA through a particularly challeng-
ing period. The Board feels that the
strong foundations created during Mr
Oduoza’s term provide an excellent basis
for our further success” Elumelu said.
In all these, the bank’s succession
planning clearly stands out as con-
forming with international best prac-
tices which ensure that the bank con-
tinually sustains its growth momentum.
10THINGSYOUDON’TKNOWABOUTVICTOROSADOLOR
He has a
passion for
excellence
and a can-do
spirit
01
He is strategic and also loves to
pay great attention to details
04
05
02 03
09
08
06
10
He is an alumnus of Edo
College, University of Benin,
ICAN, IMD Lausanne and
Harvard Business School, Boston
He loves reading fiction
and leadership books- three
favourites of his are Robert
Ludlum, John Grisham and
Malcolm Gladwell’s books
He is firm, objective,
frank and
compassionate
He is very numerate
and loves intellectual
debates
He is a
southpaw
He loves
philanthropy
He is a devout Christian
He loves
watching
wrestling, playing
chess, listening
to contemporary
music and when
‘compelled’ can
dance too!
07
COVER STORY
