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Education Segun Agbaje attended St Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos State, Nigeria, and St Augustine Academy, Kent, England, for his secondary education. He then proceeded to the University of San Francisco, California, where he earned Bachelor of Accounting and Master of Business Administration degrees. Career Segun Agbaje started his career working for Ernst & Young in San Francisco and left in 1991 to join the startup GTBank. He rose through the ranks to become an Executive Director in January 2000, and Deputy Managing Director in August 2002. Agbaje was elected to the board of directors and audit committee of PepsiCo effective 15 July 2020. Brief Background from GTB GTBank first opened its doors to customers in 1990. An institution founded on sound corporate governance by two gentlemen: Fola Adeola and Tayo Aderinokun, the institution, has grown into one of the most respected banks in the industry. The institution upheld high standards of governance and was a model in financial reporting and compliance. Mr Adeola, the pioneer chief executive, stepped down in 2002 after 12 years and was succeeded, predictably, by Mr Aderinokun. The succession was seamless as the bank continued on its growth trajectory.
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Mr Aderinokun steered the bank through a successful consolidation exercise in 2005, emerging stronger after the storm generated in the sector at the time. The bank continued on its impressive growth, making history in July 2007 as the very first sub-Saharan bank and first Nigerian company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange, raising $750 million in the process. But as providence will have it, Mr Aderinokun took ill and was flown to a hospital in London. The mantle naturally fell on Segun Agbaje, a pioneer member of staff and son of one of the initial financiers of the bank to serve as acting managing director. At that time, Mr Agbaje was the deputy managing director. Upon Aderinokun’s death in June 2011 from lung cancer, Agbaje was named substantial MD/CEO of the bank. This process of installing Mr Agbaje as the MD/CEO of GTBank made it the third change of guard in the bank. Some Awards Won by GTBank under Segun Agbaje’s Leadership Awards won by GTBank under Agbaje’s leadership include:
- Best Bank in Nigeria by Euromoney;
- African Bank of the Year by African Banker Award;
- Best Bank in Nigeria by World Finance UK;
- Most Innovative Bank by EMEA Finance;
- Best Banking Group by World Business Leader Magazine and
- Best Bank in Nigeria award by the Banker Awards.
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