Razack Adeyemi Adeola - GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR
Mr. Yemi Adeola has over 25years professional experience spanning banking, finance, law, corporate consulting and academia. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director Sterling Bank Plc, he served as Executive Director, Corporate and Commercial Banking between January 2006 and November 2007.
Mr. Adeola started his career as a university teacher in 1984, leaving to become a consultant with the firm of Price Waterhouse Coopers in 1987. He joined Nigeria International Bank (Citibank Nigeria) in 1988 and served in various capacities notably Executive Director overseeing Government & Public Infrastructure (1998-2000) and Commercial Banking (2000-3). In June 2003, he left Citibank Nigeria to pursue a turn-around assignment as Deputy Managing Director of Trust Bank of Africa Limited, playing a leading role in the effort that restored the bank to profitability.
A J.F Kennedy scholar, Yemi holds a post graduate degree in Law and specializes in secured credit transactions.
Lanre Adesanya - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Lanre Adesanya serves on the board as an Executive Director, an appointment he has held since January 2006. He started his banking career in 1987 as a Credit and Marketing Officer in Nigbel Merchant Bank Ltd (NBML) and was subsequently appointed pioneer manager for the Port Harcourt branch in 1991.
He rapidly moved up the rungs of the organization to become the General Manager overseeing the Port Harcourt and Abuja regions in December 2000. Subsequently, his responsibilities were expanded to cover Public Sector Banking and Management Services.
In 2003, he assumed the role of Executive Director and Chief Marketing Officer of the bank from where he became the Managing Director.
Mr. Adesanya has attended many executive training programs and has over 21 years banking experience. He holds both first and graduate degrees in Economics from the University of Lagos.
Garba Imam - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mallam Garba Imam serves as an Executive Director on the board, a position he has held since January 2006. He started his banking career in 1985 as a credit analyst with Chase Merchant Bank Limited. In his time with that institution, he served in various capacities eventually becoming the Assistant General Manager in charge of Corporate Banking. In 1994, he was seconded to CMB Home Savings & Loans Limited as Managing Director, a position he held until July 1995. From January 1996 to 1998, he served as Chief Executive Officer of VISA Investments & Securities Ltd, a subsidiary of Africa International Bank Ltd (AIB).
He also served in a number of other senior management roles with the defunct AIB between 1998 and 2002 from where he joined the board of NAL Bank Plc as an Executive Director, a position he held until the banking consolidation exercise of January 2006.
Mallam Garba holds a Master of Social Science Degree (1981) from Birmingham University, United Kingdom.
Mr. Davendra Puri - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Mr. Puri serves on the board as an Executive Director. He started his banking career as a direct officer with State Bank of India (SBI) in 1984.
He has held senior positions in Personnel & Human Resources, Training, Operations and Risk Management. Mr. Puri was the Regional Manager in charge of Region II AO, Patna between 2008 and 2009; leading the Region to becoming the first among others to achieve some major milestones in the Bank.
While serving as Circle Credit and Financial Officer at the SBI Local Head office in Patna between June 2009 and April 2010, he was promoted Deputy General Manager in August 2009. He is presently serving SBI internationally in Nigeria.
An alumnus of the A.N. College, Patna, Mr. Puri is an associate of the prestigious India Institute of Bankers.