Our Team

Chairman – CON

Jim Ovia

Jim Ovia is the Founder and Chairman of  Zenith Bank Plc, one of Africa’s largest bank with over $17.6 billion in assets ast at 31 December 2019. Zenith Bank is listed on the London Stock Exchange as well as on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. In addition to major operations in Nigeria and other West African countries, it has sizeable operations in London and Dubai.

As the Chairman of Prudential Zenith Life Assurance Limited, he oversaw the landmark partnership of Prudential Plc – one of the world’s largest life assurance companies and Zenith Life – Nigeria’s fastest growing life assurance company. He is currently the Chairman and majority shareholder of Zenith General Insurance Limited; Nigeria’s most profitable general
insurance company.

Jim Ovia is the author of Africa Rise and Shine, published by ForbesBooks. The book details the secrets to success in doing business in Africa, which encapsulates Zenith Bank’s meteoric rise.

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An avid fan of iconic architecture, he developed the Civic Centre and Aquamarine Boat Club to exploit Nigeria’s burgeoning hospitality sector. Juxtaposed to this, he built the Civic Towers, a 116-metre office block that is often referred to as Lagos’ “Most Iconic Building”. Driven by the role that technology could play in Nigeria, he established Cyberspace Limited to provide internet services and Visafone Communications Limited to provide telecom and data services. The latter was sold to MTN, Africa’s largest telco, for an undisclosed sum in 2015. Being one of the pioneers of the propagation of internet services in Nigeria, Jim Ovia became the first president of the Nigeria Internet Group (2001-2003) and is also a Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS).

As part of his philanthropic efforts, Jim Ovia is one of the founding directors of the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) which is co-sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Realizing the importance that education played in his personal success, he established the Jim Ovia Foundation. To date, over 3,000 students have been provided with university scholarships. Jim Ovia also established James Hope College, Agbor, Delta State – a co-educational boarding school that provides scholarships for over 40% of its pupils.

In addition to his philanthropic efforts, Jim Ovia Foundation collaborated with the Africa America Institute (AAI), headquartered in New York, to launch the Jim Ovia Foundation Leadership Scholarship Fund with a $2 million contribution to fund the university education of 35 outstanding Africans in STEM courses at Ashesi University, Ghana and Covenant University, Nigeria.

His contribution to the Nigerian economy has been recognized by successive governments, and he was conferred with the national award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) in 2011. On April 4, 2019 Jim Ovia was awarded the Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) Honoris Causa Degree by the University of Lagos in recognition of his sterling contributions towards education, philanthropic gestures, his positive impact in the Nigerian banking sector and his efforts in alleviating poverty by providing jobs to the citizenry. In December 2017, he was also presented the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) (HonorisCausa) by the University of Nigeria, Nsukka while the Lagos State University awarded him Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Finance in October 2005.

On 19 September 2017, Jim Ovia was awarded the AAI 2017 Business Leader Award by the Africa America Institute (AAI) for his pioneering success in entrepreneurship and his continued commitment to the future of Africa through the Jim Ovia Scholarship and ICT Entrepreneurs Programme.

He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (OPM), University of Louisiana (MBA), and Southern University, Louisiana, (B.Sc. Business Administration). Jim Ovia is a member of World Economic Forum Community of Chairmen; and the Co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Africa Regional Business Council.

chief EXECUTIVE officer

Elaine Delaney

Elaine began her career with Watson Towers, the largest global actuarial consultancy advising FTSE 100 companies on both the asset and liability side. She later joined PSolve Asset Solutions, the fund-of-funds subsidiary of Sanlam Bank SA where she focused upon delivering tailor-made liability-driven investment solutions to top UK corporate pension plans, with a focus upon alternative assets. She then moved to Gissings Consultancy Services as Head of R&D, developing derivative based solutions for institutional clients.

Elaine joined Zenith Bank Plc in Nigeria within the Corporate Finance & Advisory and rose to become the head of Corporate Strategy & Advisory. She served on the Investment Committee as an Investment Strategist for the Zenith Bank range of mutual funds. Elaine holds a Diploma in Actuarial
Management and a BSc in Actuarial Science from the Cass Business School, London. She is a member of the Institute of Actuaries and a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and Applications. 

Finance Team

executive director, finance

Dr. Bukunmi Fapohunda

Bukunmi joined Quantum as the Head of Compliance and rose to become
the Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Quantum, Bukunmi was a Senior
Auditor with Deloitte Nigeria. She began her career in Deloitte as a
consultant with the Enterprise and Risk Services Unit where she conducted
internal audits, control and compliance tests for various blue chip clients.
Few years later, she was promoted to Audit Senior in the Financial
Institutions Unit, where she oversaw client’s business processes, prepared
audited financial statements, analyzed financial records and financial
statements, ensured Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and conducted
operational reviews.
Bukunmi is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
(ICAN) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN).
She also holds a BSc (First Class Honors) in Business Administration from
Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria. Bukunmi holds an MBA (Magna
Cum Laude) with specialization in Corporate Finance from Walden
University, Minnesota, USA. She also holds a DBA (Summa Magna Cum
Laude) with specialization in Finance from Walden University, Minnesota,
USA. Bukunmi is an Assocate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

hEAD OF INVESTMENTS

Uchechi Ejiogu

Uchechi is a member of the CFA Institute (CFA). She has over 11 years of experience in investment management, market research, financial advisory, and strategy development for both the private and public sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Prior to joining Quantum as head of investments, she spent 3 years as a Senior Associate at  PwC professional services deal advisory team and 2 years at EY as a manager in the strategy and transaction team. She has experience in various sectors such as financial services, healthcare, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), infrastructure and government, oil and gas, telecommunications, among others.

FINANCE ASSOCIATE

Oluwasefe Ajibogere

‘Sefe joined Quantum in April 2018 as a Finance Associate with duties ranging
from tax to finance and accounting. Prior to this, she worked at SIAO (one of
the indigenous audit firms in Nigeria) as an audit associate where she led
teams on the audit of companies in both financial services and real estate
sectors. ‘Sefe also briefly worked at the performance management
department of Skye bank Plc (now Polaris bank Plc).

She is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of
Nigeria (ICAN) and also holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from
Redeemers’ University where she was on the Dean’s honour roll throughout
her undergraduate study. ‘Sefe holds a Master’s degree in Finance from the
University of Lagos.

FINANCE ASSOCIATE

Mayowa Oyewole

Mayowa is a Finance Associate in Quantum responsible for performing multiple
accounting, tax and financial management functions. She is a finance
professional with over 5 years of experience in providing accounting, tax
compliance and business advisory services to leading Nigerian and multinational
companies in diverse sectors of the economy such as consumer/industrial, oil &
gas and real estate.
Prior to joining Quantum, Mayowa worked as a Senior Adviser within the tax
and regulatory division of KPMG Nigeria where she served as lead engagement
senior consultant on tax advisory projects covering tax compliance, real estate
development, and mergers & acquisitions amongst others.
She is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria
(ICAN) and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Covenant University,
where she graduated with First Class Honors.

Legal Team

GENERAL COUNSEL & COMPANY SECRETARY

Emeka Anyaeji, FCIArb

Emeka Anyaeji is a Corporate Attorney with specialization in Financial and
Investment laws. He holds a masters degree in law from the University of
Lagos (2006) after obtaining his Bachelor of laws degree from Nnamdi Azikiwe
University Awka, in 1996 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in February 1998.
A fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, with an aggregate of over
seventeen years corporate attorney experience in banking, capital market
operations, and the telecommunications sectors where he held various Senior
Management positions in the Legal Services Department, Legal
Regulatory/Compliance and Company Secretariat Departments respectively.
Prior to present portfolio, he had worked in the Legal Services of Zenith Bank
Plc, was pioneer Company Secretary and Head Legal Services of Zenith
Pensions Custodian Limited and Zenith Trustees Limited respectively. He later
became the Chief Operating Officer of Zenith Trustees Limited before leaving
the Group Legal Services of Zenith Bank Plc in January 2012 to become the
General Counsel/Head Regulatory and Company Secretary of Visafone
Communications Limited, a position he held until December 31, 2015.

Senior Legal Counsel

Ifeanyi Okolugbo

Ifeanyi Okolugbo obtained an LL.B degree from Delta State University in
February, 2004 and thereafter proceeded to the Nigerian Law School, where
he also obtained a B.L degree and was called to the Nigerian Bar in October,
2005. He also holds an LL.M degree and currently works with the Legal Services
Unit of Quantum as Senior Legal Counsel.
Prior to joining the Quantum, he worked with Visafone Communications
Limited as Legal & Regulatory officer, where his job function comprised
amongst others, commercial legal and regulatory advisory in the telecom
industry.
Earlier in his career, he garnered banking legal advisory and litigation
experience from Zenith Bank Plc, where he worked as legal officer for over five
(5) years perfecting legal skills in security documentation and company
secretarial practice. This was sequel to the period he worked in a first class Law
firm (Matrix Solicitors) as Counsel from where he acquired vast experience in
litigation and corporate commercial practice.
He has attended numerous seminars and trainings including but not limited to
training in Project Finance with DentonWildeSapte LLP.

Human Resource Team

human Resource Associate

Dr. Stella Tadese

Dr. Stella Tadese is a Chartered Human Resources professional, an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (ACIPMN) where
she won the award for the 2017 CIPM best graduating student in Nigeria and a Senior Professional in Human Resources – International (SPHRi). Stella currently manages all Human Resources functions at Quantum. She has over 5 years’ experience in Human resources and business development management within the consulting, real estate and financial services sector.

Stella has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Lagos, Nigeria where she majored in Human Resources Management. She had her first degree in Veterinary medicine from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.