Kennedy Uzoka

Kennedy Uzoka holds a BSc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Benin and an MBA from the University of Lagos. Mr. Uzoka has over two decades of experience covering Core Banking, Corporate Marketing Communications, Strategy, and Business Advisory Services.

As the former Group Managing Director/CEO at United Bank for Africa(UBA), he was responsible for leading the development and execution of UBA Group’s long term strategy.

He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School (AMP) in Boston USA, the International Institute of Management Development (IMS) in Lausanne, Switzerland and the London Business School, United Kingdom.

Theresa Henshaw

Theresa Henshaw is currently the CEO, UBA UK. Prior to this appointment, Theresa was the DMD, Business Development, UBA America, and joined UBA UK in November 2020 as Head of Business Development from Crown Agents Bank UK, where she led the Global Markets Sales desk and Africa team. Prior to Crown Agents Bank, she spent 14 years at Habib Bank UK as Head of Treasury with executive oversight and responsibility for all Treasury activities in the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Theresa has over 20 years of banking experience, including 14 years working in the City of London, and specializing in all aspects of treasury management including risk management, liquidity management, fixed income, compliance, business development, capital management, funding, and FX dealing.

Theresa is an alumnus of CASS Business School having studied MSc Finance & Investment; a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments and runs a Mentor club for young, female professionals/entrepreneurs in the UK. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and the arts.

Oliver Alawuba

Oliver, a seasoned banking professional, comes on board with a broad range of strategic and well-grounded experience in Corporate and Institutional Banking, Consumer Banking, Public Sector, Retail and Commercial Banking, Project Management, Corporate Governance, and overall bank management.

Mr. Oliver Alawuba has acquired 25 years of work experience in the banking industry after his short foray into academia. He joined the former Standard Trust Bank (STB) as a pioneer staff in 1997. Over the years, he has demonstrated strong passion for excellence and result-oriented leadership capability. 

Prior to his current appointment as the Group Managing Director/CEO of UBA Banking Group, Oliver was at various times country CEO and Regional CEO in the Rest of Africa, Executive Director, East Bank (Nigeria) and later Group Deputy Managing Director/CEO, covering Nigeria and other 19 subsidiaries in the Rest of Africa. He also worked in another bank and rose to the position of Executive Director. Oliver is an effective and self-motivated professional. 

Oliver possesses B.Sc and M.Sc degrees in Food Science and Technology and MBA in Banking and Finance. He is an alumnus of the AMP and SEP programmes of the prestigious INSEAD Business School, France and London Business School respectively.

He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

Alexander Trotter

Mr Trotter has significant experience in managing, investing and advising African public and private companies. He was a portfolio manager for over ten years investing in frontier African equities, with a demonstrable track record of strong performance. He is a trustee of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Africa’s leading supporter of entrepreneurship. He has a background in investment management, strategy, and corporate finance, and has held positions with UBS and GAM. He began his career at Linklaters, as a corporate lawyer.

Mr Trotter holds degrees from Oxford University and Imperial College.

Sola Yomi-Ajayi

Sola Yomi-Ajayi is a highly experienced banker with over 28 years of banking experience, managing Corporate and Institutional relationships with significant experience managing International Banking, Regulatory Engagement, Structured funding, Risk management, Financial inclusion, Transaction banking, Correspondent banking, Treasury, and Operations.

As the Executive Director for International Banking and the CEO of UBA America, Sola Yomi-Ajayi is responsible for strategy formulation as well as oversight for UBA Group’s International business operations in America, Grand Cayman Islands, UK, France, and Dubai-DIFC. She is also responsible for the strategic oversight of the Group’s Diplomatic, Multilateral, and Development Organization portfolios and she leads the respective teams in the execution of the corporate strategy and delivery of unique best-in-class financial solutions to UBA’s customers across four continents.

Sola has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and an MBA from the Aberdeen Business School, UK. Additionally, she has undertaken Executive Leadership education at Harvard Business School and Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.

She is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, UK, and a Member, Board of Trustees for the US-based Institute of International Banking.

Ian Greenstreet

Mr Greenstreet has served on public and private corporate boards for the past 14 years including on several financial institutions. His roles have included being a representative of the FMO (the Dutch Development Bank) on the board of Bank of Africa and Alios Capital, serving as a Director for Diamond Bank in Nigeria, and serving as a representative of the IFC on the board of Assupol Life insurance in South Africa. Mr Greenstreet brings diverse management and board experience in banking, finance, risk, managerial and financial technology together with a global network.

He currently sits on the advisory committee of the London Stock Exchange, on the board of Net1 UEPS a Fintech company in South Africa and is the Chair and Founder of Infinity Capital Partners Ltd in the UK. He previously served as regional Head of Risk for ABN AMRO Bank and a board member and Head of Henderson Fund Management in Luxembourg.

Mr Greenstreet has attended a program at Harvard Business School on driving Digital and Social Strategy and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA).

John Coulter

Mr Coulter was appointed to the Board of UBA UK in August 2017. He is an experienced banker having spent most of his career with JP Morgan, and was Regional Head and CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as holding directorships and senior positions in a number of their African entities. He has also held senior positions with Brait SA as Group CEO, Ndola Capital and Morgan Stanley as CEO Sub-Saharan Africa.

He is an alumnus of Trinity College and University College Dublin. He is an Irish citizen.

Chris Low

Chris is on the Board of ASA International Plc, a leading international microfinance business operating in 13 emerging markets, and chairs its Audit and Risk Committee. Also he has joined the Board of Ed Partners Africa Limited that finances schools in Kenya. Until recently he was I&M Group Plc’s Regional Director for its East Africa businesses (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Mauritius), based in Nairobi. Further he advises a number of FinTech start-ups in Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, sits on the Board of the Scottish African Business Association and is an Investment Committee member of the Zephyr Acorn Fund that invests in early stage companies using technology for impact.

With over 30 years in international financial services and digital transformation, Chris has worked for Letshego Holdings PLC (Botswana – GCEO), Standard Chartered Plc (UK, Asia and Africa – roles included CEO, India and Chairman of Nepal, CEO Tanzania; GM/CEO East Africa/Kenya and CEO South Africa), National Bank of Kuwait (Middle East – Deputy CEO, International Banking) and Goldman Sachs (London). Also he has advised the UK Government’s Financial and Professional Services Sector Team (part of the Department of International Trade) on strategies for engaging with the UK banking sector to promote trade and investment.

Chris trained as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen & Co after reading Zoology at St Peters College, Oxford University. His outside interests include art and antiques, fly-fishing, travel and sustainability.

Dr. Nashwa Saleh

Dr. Nashwa Joy Saleh is a strategic thought leader, senior policy advisor, CNED, educator and published author, internationally recognized by the prestigious Innovate Finance UK Women in Fintech Powerlist 2022 in the UK as an industry leader and as a top 100 influential financial industry expert (men & women) in the EMEA region.

She has more than 25 years of experience across global EM with a special focus on EMEA, holding various senior policy, equity, debt and capital markets roles with a number of international organizations and regulatory bodies. Her track record spanned mandates with USAID, EBRD, AfDB, Central Bank of Egypt, S&P Global and KPMG Corporate Finance. She is the founder of BAST Analytics UK Ltd (www.bastanalytics.com) aspiring to become the first premium provider of MSME data analytics in EMEA.

She has managed teams of multidisciplinary professionals and covered financial markets & institutions across a number of Global EM and frontier markets including: Sub-Saharan African markets, North African markets, Brazil, Greece, Egypt, Libya, Turkey, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Morocco, Jordan, Tunisia, Yemen, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Togo, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, and South Africa.

As an educator, Dr. Saleh is an Associate Professor of Finance & Fintech at Kingston Business School in London and has held several senior affiliations previously with Cranfield University, ESCP Europe, De Montfort University, Cambridge University & The American University in Cairo.

She is a Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy, FHEA, Chevening Scholar, receiving her PhD in Finance from Bayes Business School in London, MSc in Finance from London Business School, and obtained her BA in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo (AUC). She is a CFA charter holder, member of the UK CFA Society and Chartered Management Accountant (CMA) by the US Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). She also holds a CFA certification in ESG Investing and is a Certified Company Director from the UK Institute of Directors (IoD ).

Some of her recent board roles include non-executive director & board member, Chair of Audit Committee at Sandah Microfinance (founded by KfW & AAIB) and NED at EBE Factors (subsidiary of the Egyptian Export Development Bank of Egypt).

She published a book in 2010 entitled An Anatomy of the Financial Crisis, Blowing Tumbleweed. She speaks French, English and Arabic.

Theresa Henshaw

Theresa Henshaw is currently the CEO, UBA UK. Prior to this appointment, Theresa was the DMD, Business Development, UBA America, and joined UBA UK in November 2020 as Head of Business Development from Crown Agents Bank UK, where she led the Global Markets Sales desk and Africa team. Prior to Crown Agents Bank, she spent 14 years at Habib Bank UK as Head of Treasury with executive oversight and responsibility for all Treasury activities in the UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.

Theresa has over 20 years of banking experience, including 14 years working in the City of London, and specializing in all aspects of treasury management including risk management, liquidity management, fixed income, compliance, business development, capital management, funding, and FX dealing.

Theresa is an alumnus of CASS Business School having studied MSc Finance & Investment; a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and a member of the Chartered Institute of Securities & Investments and runs a Mentor club for young, female professionals/entrepreneurs in the UK. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and the arts.

Deji Adeyelure

Deji joined the Bank in March 2021. He is a finance professional with extensive experience in strategic finance, business strategy and financial control. His work experience spans several industries, with stints in audit, telecoms, investment, and commercial banking.

Deji has worked across multiple jurisdictions in Finance, Business and Regulatory roles.

He is a fellow of the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. He holds degrees in Accounting and Applied Accounting from the University of Lagos and Oxford Brookes University in the UK.

Alan Clark

Alan has over 22 years experience in financial services with a background in governance, control and internal audit. More recently has held two Head of Internal Audit positions for small foreign banks.

Prior to moving to the banking sector he managed IT security and law enforcement activities for a central government department.

Alan holds a PG Dip in Internal Audit and Management and is currently the Chief Operating Officer for UBA UK.

Chika Patrick

Chika is the Head of Human Resources and a member of the company’s executive management team. In this role, he is responsible for the formulation and execution of the people strategy, aligning people to the business agenda. A seasoned HR professional with over a decade experience across a variety of industries.

Before joining UBA UK, Chika served as the Global HR Lead at Sendwave where he was responsible for the development and execution of the HR strategy aimed at fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.

Previously he held Senior HR Business Partnering positions at GSMA, Man Group Plc, Barclays Bank, and American Express.

Chika holds a Biomedical Science degree from Sunderland University and an MBA from The University of Strathclyde, and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Alex Alves

Alex joined UBA UK in May of 2021. He has over 10 years experience Compliance . Prior to UBA UK he previously worked for a number of UK banks including ICBC London, BNP Paribas and Bank of America.

Alex is a qualified Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

Richard Ola

Richard Ola is the Chief Technology Officer and a key member of the executive management team at the Bank. With over 24 years of professional experience across diverse industries, Richard is a seasoned CTO/CIO/CISO/IT Director/Transformational Director. He possesses extensive knowledge in end-to-end technology platforms build and launch and is recognized for effective communication at all business levels, both internally and externally.

In his role, Richard is accountable for formulating and executing the technology strategy, aligning it with the group business plan. Prior to joining UBA UK, he served as the CIO at Crown Agents Bank, contributing significantly to scaling the technology side of the business from startup to sustainable growth. His senior roles at Etisalat, Barclays Bank, NHS Scotland, and Telefonica O2 have further enriched his professional journey.

Richard holds a B. Tech degree in Computer Science & Engineering from Lautech, an MBA in Economics from NAU, and a Master’s degree from Cranfield University. He is a member of ISACA, ISC2, and a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS). Known for his expertise, Richard holds several professional certifications, including CITP, MBCMI, SSBB, CMQ/OE, CISSP, CISM, CISA, CGEIT, CDPSE, CRISK, CCSP, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, TOGAF.

Helen Iwuchukwu

Helen is a Solicitor & Advocate of the Supreme Court of Nigeria called to the Nigerian Bar, holds a Master of Laws degree from Middlesex University Business School, London. She has over 25 years’ experience. Helen joined the Bank in September 2023. Prior to that, she had held various roles and responsibilities including, Non-executive Director, and Executive Director/COO at Transcorp Hotels Plc, Group Company Secretary and Legal Adviser at Transcorp Group Plc. She practiced law in Nigeria both within law Firms and as an inhouse corporate lawyer. She has private and public listed Company experience in Nigeria and the UK. She has attended Certificate programs at Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School Online, is a member of the Nigerian Bar Association, the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria and the Chartered Governance Institute UK.

Oxana Kozliouk

Mrs Kozliouk joined UBA UK in September 2022 as the Bank’s Chief Risk Officer. She has over 25 years of experience in risk management.

Mrs Kozliouk began her risk management career with UBS and she subsequently held positions with Bank of America Merril Lynch and VTB Capital, Russia’s predominant investment bank.

In her last role, she was a member of the management board of a wholesale bank in Germany.

Mrs Kozliouk has a background in investment and corporate banking, including trade and real estate financing.