UBA's Oduoza Wins CEO Of The Year Award At Investment Summit In New York

Group Managing Director and CEO, UBA Plc, Mr Phillips Oduoza has emerged the 2015 Ai Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) 30 CEO of the year at this year’s 8th annual Ai CEO Investment Summit. This is the second time he is winning the award after winning it first in 2013.

He was named the winner from a long shortlist that included Nassef Sawiris, CEO, Orascom Construction Company, Sifiso Dabengwa, CEO, MTN Group, SA, Guillaume Roux, CEO, Lafarge Africa, Segun Agbaje, CEO, GT Bank, Graham Clark, GMD, Dangote Sugar and Ben Kruger/Sim Tshabalala, Co-CEOs, Standard Bank. The event took place in New York at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Africa investor (Ai), is a leading international investment and communications group based in South Africa. Every year it organises the institutional investment summit as a platform for public and private sector leaders in Africa to dialogue with global counterparts on ways to invest and grow businesses in Africa.

As an integral part of the summit, Ai also hosts the investment and business leadership awards to reward exceptional business practices, economic achievements and investments across Africa, whilst recognising the institutions and individuals improving the continent’s investment climate.

At the summit and awards ceremony attended by over 250 of Africa’s most prominent and influential business, government and development finance leaders, as well as five African Heads of State, the UBA CEO won the Ai SRI CEO of the Year award in recognition of his exceptional achievements over the last year which according to the summit organisers, is an “inspiration for business and government leaders working to raise Africa’s investment profile”.

The judging panel considered excellent leadership skills, enhanced organisational image, innovation and originality as well as alignment with the millennium development goals (MDGs) in choosing the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) 30 CEO of the year. Speaking on the award, Oduoza who has twice been recipient(the first time in 2013), said: ‘as Africa’s global bank, The United Bank for Africa, UBA, has operations in 19 African countries and 3 global financial centres – New York, London and Paris, serving over 9 million customers.

“This award validates our efforts over the years in building a solid pan-African banking business that is profitable, sustainable and socially responsible. I dedicate it to all UBA people: customers, staff and other stakeholders in Africa and across the globe”.

Other recognitions at the ceremony include: Venture Capital/Private Equity Award won by the Abraaj Group, whilst Institutional Investor of the Year and Investment Promotion Agency of the Year went to Public Investment Corporation of South Africa (PIC) and Centre de Promotion des Investissements en Côte d’Ivoire (CEPICI) respectively. The Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa Award went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.