About Us

Board of Directors

Committed to provide you with a first class service

Our Board members have significant experience of working in the banking and financial services industries, each bringing with them a unique set of skills to ensure strong governance which supports our moderate appetite for risk and enables us to deliver high levels of customer service.

Mr Herbert Wigwe

Chairman and Non-Executive Director
Herbert Wigwe started his professional career with Coopers and Lybrand Associates, an international firm of Chartered Accountants. He spent over 10 years at Guaranty Trust Bank where he managed several portfolios including Financial institutions, Corporates and Multinationals.

He left Guaranty Trust as an Executive Director to co-lead the transformation of Access Bank Plc in March 2002 as Deputy Managing Director. He was appointed Group Managing Director/CEO effective 1 January, 2014. In March 2019 Access Bank merged with Diamond Bank to form the largest bank in Africa, by customer numbers. He is an Alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme. He holds a Masters degree in Banking and International Finance from the University College of North Wales, a Masters degree in Financial Economics from the University of London and a B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

Mr Wigwe is the Chairman of The Access Bank UK Ltd and Non-Executive Director of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc.

Mr David Charters

Independent Non-Executive Director
David Charters was appointed Non-Executive Director at The Access Bank UK on the 15th March 2019. David has vast experience of leadership and advisory roles in finance, security/intelligence and legal services. This has been gained through previously being a Director of SG Warburg Securities, Managing Director at Deutsche Bank and Partner at Barchester Group as well as the Chairman of Trinity Investment Partners. He graduated with a First Class Honours in Modern and Medieval Languages, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.

Mr Roosevelt Ogbonna

Non-Executive Director

Non-Executive Director Roosevelt Ogbonna was appointed Group Deputy Managing Director of Access Bank Plc in April 2017. Prior to his appointment, he served as the Executive Director, Wholesale Banking Division of Access Bank Plc. He has a wealth of experience in the Banking industry spanning the various areas of treasury, commercial, corporate and investment banking. Before joining Access Bank in 2002, he managed the largest Business Team in the Institutional Banking Group of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.

Roosevelt holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the Institute of Management Development (IMD), an Executive Master’s degree in Business Administration from Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business and a BSc. in Banking & Finance from The University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and also sits on the Board of Access Bank Zambia, Africa Finance Corporation and Central Securities Clearing System Plc. He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (HBS) and the Institute of Management Development (IMD).

Mr Jamie Simmonds

Chief Executive Officer/ Managing Director
Jamie Simmonds was appointed founding CEO/MD of The Access Bank UK Limited in January 2008. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme, an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, a member of the Association of Foreign Bankers and a certified financial adviser.

He has a wealth of financial services experience, having held a number of director roles at National Westminster, Coutts, Royal Bank of Scotland, Gerrards and Close Brothers. He has a proven track record in the startup and turnaround of financial service businesses, delivering sustainable benefits for all stakeholders. He has extensive knowledge of corporate, retail and private banking.

Mr Sean McLaughlin

Finance Director

Sean McLaughlin is a chartered accountant with excellent financial and operational management skills. He has more than 18 years’ proven success gained in senior positions with international investment banking institutions. He qualified with Deloitte, and worked as a senior manager specialising in the auditing of complex banking and securities firms.

He spent ten years as Finance Director at Credit Lyonnais Securities, where he had responsibility for the settlements and middle office departments. He spent five years as Chief Operating Officer at Robert W Baird Limited, the UK subsidiary of the US investment bank, and was responsible for all operational functions. Before joining The Access Bank UK in 2008, he spent two years with an internet startup developing a property trading exchange dealing with small institutions and investors.

Mr Stephen Clark

Independent Non-Executive Director

Independent Non-Executive Director Stephen Clark was formally appointed Non-Executive Director at The Access Bank UK on 7 November 2016.

Stephen was formerly Chief Executive Officer of VTB Bank, responsible for the leadership and transition of the Commercial Bank to the Investment Bank. Prior to this Stephen served as Chief Executive of Gerrard Ltd, a subsidiary of Old Mutual Plc. He also served as Partner and CoCEO of CIBC Oppenheimer International. Stephen is an Honours Graduate in Financial Services from University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) and is a qualified banker.

He has a wealth of financial and corporate finance experience, with a career spanning 27 years with Natwest Bank Plc where he became Managing Director and Group Finance Director of the International Investment Bank County Natwest. Stephen is currently a Non-Executive Director at Nutmeg Saving and Investment Limited, Chairman at Medway NHS Trust and is a Senior Advisor and Chairman of the Disciplinary Panel for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

The Access Bank UK Limited is registered in England & Wales, Company Number 06365062. Registered Office: 4 Royal Court, Gadbrook Way, Gadbrook Park, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 7UT. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. FCA & PRA Registration Number 478415. 

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