The Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (GMD/CEO), United Bank for Africa Plc, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, has been named the 2015 Ai Socially Responsible Investment 30 CEO of the Year.
The announcement was made at the eighth annual Ai CEO Investment Summit, which was held in New York, United States last week. The event took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
According to a statement by the pan African lender, this is the second time Oduoza is winning the award after clinching it first in 2013.
Some of the nominees of this year’s award were the CEO, Orascom Construction Company, Mr. Nassef Sawiri; CEO, MTN Group, South Africa, Mr. Sifiso Dabengwa; and CEO, Lafarge Africa, Mr. Guillaume Roux
Others include CEO, Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje; Group Managing Director, Dangote Sugar, Mr. Graham Clark; and Co-CEOs, Standard Bank, Mr. Ben Kruger and Sim Tshabalala.
Ai, a South Africa-based international investment and communications group, organises the 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, while recognising the institutions and individuals improving the continent’s investment climate.
This year’s summit and awards were said to have been attended by over 250 CEOs of some of Africa’s prominent companies, governments and development finance institutions.
The statement noted that five African Heads of State were also in attendance.
It read, “The judging panel considered excellent leadership skills, enhanced organisational image, innovation and originality as well as alignment with the millennium development goals in choosing the Socially Responsible Investment 30 CEO of the year.
Commenting on the award, Oduoza said as Africa’s global bank, UBA has operations in 19 African countries and three global financial centres – New York, London and Paris.
He added, “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 the UBA people: customers, staff and other stakeholders in Africa and across the globe”.
The Venture Capital/Private Equity Award was won by the Abraaj Group, while Institutional Investor of the Year and Investment Promotion Agency of the Year awards went to Public Investment Corporation of South Africa and Centre De Promotion Des Investissements en Côte d’Ivoire respectively.
The Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa Award went to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
