A colourful and well-attended investiture ceremony was hosted last weekend by the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) as it inducted new members, and conferred fellowhip awards on an elite group of carefully-selected, experienced banking industry veterans who have made significant impact in the industry.
Among the honourees was Mr. Kenneth Aigbinode, the Founder and CEO of Vintage Vantage Advisory of Canada, a strategy and risk consulting firm. He is also the Chairman of Virtue Educational and Allied Services Inc. Canada, where his turnaround, financial consulting, strategy design, and risk management skills have blossomed into key mandates to reposition companies, intermediate funding for Diaspora start-ups, and foster learning since 2016.
Mr. Aigbinode has over 35 years of experience in top management and board positions in the financial services and telecommunications industries. He has traversed the merchant, investment, and commercial banking space. His exposure also includes collaboration with offshore banks, and multilateral, and continental institutions on structured finance.
He was the pioneer executive director of Fidelity Bank PLC and exited as acting MD/CEO in 2004 after six years. He joined NNB International Bank PLC (now Unity Bank PLC) in 2005 as executive director and led business development as Deputy Chief Executive. His post-NYSC (served with First Bank) engagement started with Bank of Boston’s affiliate, Nigerian American Merchant Bank, from 1983 to 1993 in corporate lending and risk management, including a 6-month loan officers’ development internship in Boston, USA.
He was later involved in the turnaround of Owena Bank PLC to Omegabank PLC (now Unity Bank) between 1993 and 1998. As part of his national contribution, he served as the Central Bank of Nigeria’s nominee director in the orderly winding-up of Assurance Bank in 2005. He was a member of a seven-member committee of the African eminent person group that worked with Clifford Chance, UK, to resolve succession issues at the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and contributed to improved corporate governance in that institution. He was also nominated to the Bankers Committee group that presented the way forward on compliance with the Basel Standards of the Bank for International Settlement.
Mr. Aigbinode later led the restructuring of Reliance Telecommunications Ltd (Zoommobile), and Monarch Communications Ltd (sold to Swift Networks) between 2005 and 2014. He served on the board of Swift Networks Limited, a broadband service provider. He was the pioneer Executive Director in charge of strategy and risk management with Industrial and General Insurance PLC between 2014 and 2016. He also served as non-executive director on the boards of NIC General Insurance based in Uganda, and Sonarwa General Insurance, Rwanda.
He holds a master’s degree in Risk Management from the renowned Stern Business School (New York University, USA), a Higher National Diploma in Banking, and a Bachelor’s certification in telecoms from the Global Revenue Assurance Professional Association. He is an alumnus of the Manchester Business School (Senior Executive Course). He is undertaking further learning with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Public Leadership.
Speaking at the occasion, Mr. Ken Opara, President and Chairman of Council of the CIBN, noted that in line with its tradition of excellence, the CIBN conferred the honorary Fellowship award on men and women of honour and distinction who worked hard to earn their places in the Banking Hall of Fame.
