Patrick Akinwuntan is the Managing Director and Regional Executive Designate of Ecobank Nigeria Ltd. He is a seasoned banker with over 20 years of senior and executive management experience. Mr Akinwuntan has held several strategic positions in the Ecobank Group in Ghana, Togo and Nigeria.

He had previously been a Group Executive Director on the Board of ETI and earlier as Executive Director in Ecobank Nigeria. He has acquired over 20 years in the financial services industry. He has an MBA in Finance from Obafemi Awolowo University and is an alumnus of the prestigious Harvard Business School (SEP). He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (1988) and an Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria. Patrick Akinwuntan represents Ecobank on the Board of Accion MfB.

John Fischer is the Chief Investment Officer at Accion MfB International. His career with Accion MfB spans over 9 years with previous assignments as Director, Investment and Credit Analyst at Rhinesmith and Associates Inc.

He has held various board positions in organizations like Apoyo Integral, S.A, as Director, Audit Committee Member, Akiba Commercial Bank Tanzania, as Director, Audit Committee Member, Risk Committee Member and Banco Popular Covelo, Honduran as Director and Alternate Director, Corporate Governance Committee Member. Mr Fischer is a graduate of Boston University Graduate School of Management and holds an MBA and MIR. John Fischer represents Accion MfB Investments in Microfinance Nigeria on the Board of Accion MfB.

Mr. Taiwo Adesina Joda is the Managing Director/CEO of Accion MfB. He holds a B.Sc. degree in Finance and Banking from the University of Lagos and a Masters degree in Finance and Banking from the same university. He is an Alumnus of Said Business School ? Oxford University

Mr. Joda is a senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (HCIB) and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (MNIM) He has attended several top management programs both locally and internationally including ? Lagos Business School, Nigeria, INSEAD, France and Euro money both in UK and Singapore.

Mr. Joda has over (25) twenty-five years’ experience in Bank and Non- Bank Financial Institutions spread over (5) five institutions with core competences in corporate finance, corporate banking, branch banking, retail banking and key customer management.

Institutions he worked prior to joining Accion MfB include: Arbitrage Finance and Investment Company LTD, Kenneth Michael & company Nig. LTD, FSB International, International Trust Bank, Equatorial Trust Bank, Diamond Bank and Fidelity Bank plc.

His remarkable performance on the job earned him appointments into critical and strategic committees and several awards in the institutions he had previously worked. He has excellent leadership skills and continually mentors young professionals. Mr. Joda was appointed the MD/CEO of Accion MfB on August 1st 2017 but assumed full responsibility as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer on January 2nd 2018.

Dr Segun Aina is a global professional banking leader, internationally rated fintech influencer and thought leader, respected Futurist and a Philanthropist. He had three decades of distinguished banking career and voluntarily retired from active banking service after a six year tenure as Bank MD/CEO. His core area of interest was operations and technology -using technology to deliver delightful banking services and products in a very efficient manner.

He is past President of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (2012 to 2014) as well as West African Bankers Association (Nigeria Chapter) 2001 and currently the inaugural Chairman of Global Council of Global Banking Education Standards Board (GBEStB) 2017 to date. A tech visionary who set up Fintech Associates Ltd as far back as 2002, he is founding President, Fintech Association of Nigeria, initiator and founding President of the Africa Fintech Network, Founder/Chairman, The Fintech Institute among others.

Dr. Aina who has been variously described as Nigeria's finTech envoy, incubated a number of successful fintech startups and sits on the Boards of various institutions in Banking, Insurance, Agriculture, Technology sectors etc. He also serves as a member of the UK-Africa Fintech Investment Group, a UK Govt initiative co-Chaired by the Lord Mayor of London and UK Prime Minister Ambassador for Business Fintech. Dr. Aina is a distinguished alumnus of University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, INSEAD France, Harvard Business School, IMD Switzerland, and Lagos Business School. Dr Aina is Fellow of London Institute of Banking and Finance, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators, Institute of Directors, Nigerian Institute of Management as well as Member, Toronto Region Board of Trade, Canada and Canadian Council for Africa. He holds the Nigeria National honors of Officer of the Order of Federal Republic (OFR) and has received honorary doctorate degrees from three Universities.

Habiba Balogun is lead consultant at HBC with a specialization in Organization Effectiveness. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in French and Italian from the University of London and a Master’s degree in Organizational Management from George Washington University, Washington DC.

She is a certified Leadership Coach, Trainer and Neuro Linguistic Programming Practitioner. In her twenty-six year career, she has worked with clients in the US, UK, Netherlands, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, South Korea, Kenya and Nigeria including the Niger-Delta and has held various roles working in industries which include Banking, Manufacturing, Import-Export, Marketing, Media, Education and Oil & Gas.
Mrs Habiba Balogun is an Independent Director.

Mr. Akin Dawodu became the Citi Country Officer (CCO) for Citi Nigeria Limited in April 2015. Prior to being the CCO, he was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Public Sector Head for Citi Nigeria. Mr. Dawodu joined Citi in June 2000 as a Foreign Exchange Dealer. He became Chief Dealer in 2003 before leaving the bank in 2005 and subsequently becoming the first Treasurer of MTN Nigeria.

He returned to Citi in July 2007 and subsequently became Fixed Income Currency and Commodities Head and Country Treasurer in October 2007. Akin became the Chief Operating Officer and Public Sector Head for Citi Nigeria Limited in January 2013. He has played a decisive role in general franchise management and developing our interface between Citi and the Nigerian Public Sector.

He attended Kings’ College Lagos and the University of Lagos. He also holds an MBA from Manchester Business School (MBS) and became a holder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation awarded by the CFA Institute in 2003. He is also the immediate past president of the Financial Market Dealers’ Association.
Akinsowon Dawodu represents Citibank on the Board of Accion MfB.

Mrs Adenike Laoye is a graduate of the Lagos State University, Ms. Laoye was called to the Bar in 1991, after which she joined the chambers of Fani-Kayode (SAN) & Sowemimo (SAN). She joined Ecobank Nigeria in 1992 and presently is the Company Secretary / Chief Legal Counsel responsible for (amongst other things); the management of the entire legal risk function in the Bank and ensuring compliance with all governance requirements.

With 25 years? post call in-house counsel experience, she is very knowledgeable in documentation for transactions and processes and possesses excellent negotiation skills. An honorary member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, she is married with children. Adenike Laoye represents Ecobank on the Board of Accion MfB.

Mr. Olumide Obayomi, an Independent Director and Consultant, has been in private consulting for over 5 years. Formerly a Consultant Fund Manager for Small, Medium Enterprises Fund with African Alliance Company (CAN Fund Manager Limited), he still sits on the Executive Committee of one of ACA managed funds? portfolio company as an independent member.

Mr Obayomi has more than 25 years of banking and other financial services experience, that includes 17 years’ experience in private equity/venture capital investing and management with a premier private equity management company in Africa, operating principally from Nigeria. With private equity and entrepreneurship enabling experiences that have been anchored on robust experience in corporate strategy and planning, accounting, financial reporting and control, information systems design and management, taxation and general management both in the public and private sectors, Mr Olumide brings to Accion MfB a wealth of knowledge in the management of different types of businesses.
Mr Obayomi is an Independent Director.

Mr. Christian Ruehmer is an expert in the area of Risk Management and Treasury for financial institutions in developing countries and a Senior Risk Manager and Banker with over 25 years of international experience.

He comes to Accion MfB with In-depth international experience for over 15 years in the implementation and improvements of risk management frameworks with over 70 financial institutions and international organizations across the world. With a focus on the integration of technology and data management to improve risk management and competitiveness of financial institutions, Christian is an experienced Risk and Compliance manager.
Christian Ruehmer represents Accion MfB Investments in Microfinance Nigeria on the Board of Accion MfB.

Prateek Shrivastava is Vice President, Digital Solutions, at Accion MfB. He is responsible for supporting Accion MfB’s portfolio companies ‐ MFIs, banks and Fintech companies, worldwide to use digital services to become more efficient and enhance customer service in a cost effective and sustainable manner. During the past 23 years, the theme of Prateek’s career has been to use technology as the vehicle for making people’s lives easier and to understand the reasons that make businesses and projects successful in different cultural contexts.

He has successfully deployed projects in over 25 countries on 5 continents of different sizes ‐ ranging from enterprise-wide SAP and groupware deployments, mobile phone based field information systems to mobile banking and payment systems. He was Managing Director for Emerging Markets between 2009 and 2012 at Monitise plc, where during this time, his project in Nigeria was one of the subjects of a visit to Nigeria by the Rt. Hon. David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UK.
Prateek Shrivastava represents Accion MfB Investments in Microfinance Nigeria on the Board of Accion MfB.

Nneka Enwereji is an Executive Director at Citibank Nigeria where she leads the coverage of Citi’s multinational and top tier local corporate clients. As business head, she is responsible for all business functions, including strategy, risk management, staffing, compliance and financials. Nneka has played a pivotal role in several landmark financing transactions and strategic client solutions. Prior to this role, she was responsible for Citi?s Africa Trade Services business, across 35 presence and non-presence countries. Nneka has International Trade experience across various markets and has led the structuring, execution and distribution of major multilateral trade deals.

Nneka has held several senior positions in her 24-year banking career. She is a veteran banker with banking experience spanning Treasury, Corporate & Investment Banking, Risk Management, Operations and Transaction Services. She is also an Alternate Director at Accion MfB Nigeria.
Nneka holds a B.Sc. degree in Computer Science and Economics cum laude and an MBA from the Warwick Business School U.K. She is also an alumnus of UCLA’s Women’s Leadership Development program. Nneka is married with children.
Nneka Enwereji is an Alternate Director to Mr Akinsowon Dawodu.

Brian Kuwik manages Accion’s operations and relationships with partners in Africa and Haiti. Accion’s regional program includes equity investments in microfinance banks and the provision of management and technical services to Accion Microfinance Bank in Nigeria, Akiba Commercial Bank in Tanzania, Pan-African Savings and Loans Ghana, EB-Accion Microfinance Cameroon, SOGESOL in Haiti and other microfinance institutions.

Mr. Kuwik sits on the boards of these partner institutions, plays an active role in governance, and provides strategic and financial advice. He also supervises Accion's technical assistance activities in the areas of strategic and business planning, product and operations development, human resources management, information technology, and risk management from its office in Ghana.
Previously, he served as resident advisor and senior manager for Accion partners in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Haiti. He has supported the design and start-up of new institutions in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon. Before joining Accion in September 2001, Mr. Kuwik worked for three years as an analyst and as head of development at the Small Enterprise Foundation in rural South Africa. Prior to these positions, he was a Fulbright researcher in Cameroon. Mr. Kuwik holds an M.B.A. in finance and international business from the University of Washington and a B.A. in international development from American University. He is fluent in English and French

Mr. Wolfgang Bertelsmeier serves as a Consultant at International Finance Corporation which he joined in 1990. Mr. Bertelsmeier worked for various financial institutions and retired from The World Bank Group in 2009. He started his career in the World Bank in 1976. He serves as a Financial Advisor and is a Non-Executive Director on the Boards of several companies in Africa, Asia and Europe. He serves as a Director of ProCredit Bank Sh.a. He has been an Independent Member of the Supervisory Board of Public joint stock company ProCredit Bank since September 6, 2017. He has been a Member of the Supervisory Board at JSC ProCredit Bank, Georgia since 2012. He served as a Member of Supervisory Board of ProCredit Holding AG & Co. KGaA since 2011. Mr. Bertelsmeier served as Director of Advans Group.

He served as a Director of TPS Eastern Africa Limited from July 1, 2009 to January 23, 2011. Mr. Bertelsmeier has held Board positions of various IFC portfolio companies in the financial, industrial and infrastructure sectors in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
He holds a diplome d'Etudes Francaises from Universite de Poitiers (France) and a degree in Business Administration from Frankfurt University (Germany). Mr. Bertelsmeier also took executive education at Harvard Business School and Stanford University.