Telecom giant, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, has notified the Nigerian Exchange Limited (NGX) and the investing public of the appointment of the following persons to join the Board of Directors of the Company effective 2 January 2025:
Eyitope Kola-Oyeneyi- Independent Non-Executive Director
Odumezuo Nwuneli- Independent Non-Executive Director
Tim Pennington- Non-Executive Director
The new Directors will bring their wealth of experience and expertise to enhance Board operations and contribute to the Company’s growth and future direction.
Eyitope Kola-Oyeneyi
Mrs Eyitope Kola-Oyeneyin is a seasoned systems change leader and transformation expert with over twenty (20) years of global experience as a senior advisor, operating executive across multiple African countries, and policymaker. She has a successful track record of partnering with institutions, regulators, and investors across Africa to develop ambitious growth programs and execute large-scale transformations. As the Managing Partner of Augmentum Advisory, she supports senior leaders to drive growth and value creation through digital transformation, policy innovation, and large-scale program execution.
A thought leader in digital financial services, Topsy possesses in-depth knowledge of Sub-Saharan Africa’s financial landscape. She served as Head of First Bank’s International banking business and as Partner and inaugural co-lead of McKinsey’s Payments and Fintech Practice for Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. She has collaborated with key players across the financial services value chain in Africa and led development of transformative initiatives such as Cashless Lagos and SANEF agent banking, which significantly advanced financial inclusion in Nigeria.
Mrs Kola-Oyeneyi is a regular speaker on global platforms and has co-authored several reports, some of which have been featured in the Financial Times and the Economist.
She holds a Master’s degree from Stanford University and is passionate about digital innovation and empowering young Africans, believing that effectively combining both can accelerate economic development and transform African nations. Her recent book, UNLEASH, provides a blueprint to help young Africans rise, find expression, and thrive.
Odumezuo Nwuneli
Mr Odumezuo Nwuneli is the Managing Partner of Sahel Capital, a food and agribusiness focused private investment firm investing across sub-Saharan Africa. He has over twenty-seven (27) years of private equity, investment banking, and corporate finance experience. Through his work he has raised capital, led investment transactions, and advised on mergers & acquisitions transactions across a range of industries. He previously worked in the financial services, Downstream Petroleum, and Telecommunications sectors. Since 2010, he has worked extensively and led investment transactions in the food and agricultural sector in Africa. He has also actively contributed to the development of the impact investing ecosystem in Nigeria.
Prior to founding Sahel Capital, Mr. Nwuneli held roles at J.P. Morgan & Co., Ocean and Oil Holdings, MTS First Wireless, and AFIG Funds. He also serves as Chairman/Co-Founder of AACE Foods, a Nigeria based food manufacturing company, and Chairman/Co-Founder at Sahel Consulting an agriculture focused management consulting firm. Mr. Nwuneli also serves on the Nigeria National Advisory Board for Impact Investing and on the board of the African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (AVCA). He is also an Independent Director at Hygeia HMO Ltd and First World Communities Ltd.
Mr. Nwuneli holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Harvard Business School, and received a B.Sc. in Industrial Management, with a minor in Information Systems, from Carnegie Mellon University. He is an Eisenhower Fellow and an Archbishop Tutu Fellow. He was honoured by Harvard Business School in 2021 with its distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.
Tim Pennington
Mr. Tim Pennington holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Manchester and is an associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, UK. He is an Independent Non-Executive Director on the Board of MTN Group Limited. He was the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Millicom International Cellular from 2014 until March 2022.
He has served as CFO in other international companies listed in New York, London, Stockholm and Hong Kong. Mr. Pennington played an instrumental role in Millicom’s transformation into a leading provider of fixed and mobile broadband services. Under his leadership as CFO, the company successfully transformed the business into a leading Latam telecom operator through the disposal and acquisition of various operations, then listing the business on NASDAQ in the U.S.
Mr. Pennington served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of London-listed Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. He is commercially driven with extensive telecommunications experience, as well as considerable corporate finance and strategic knowledge spanning several global jurisdictions.
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