Sierra Leone
Nigeria
Benin
Burkina Faso
Cameroon
Tchad
RDC
Cote d'ivoire
Gabon
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Liberia
Moçambique
Senegal
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
France
America
Mali
UK
Foundation
UAE
France
The management team of the group is made up of a crop of seasoned and industry-recognized professionals, with diverse (but complementary) skills in various backgrounds, as well as depth of experience (garnered from national and international institutions). Over the years, these executives have brought their knowledge, experience and leadership to bear on the development and delivery of solutions (through products and services) to meet the needs of our customers and, in the process, contributing to sustaining the performance of the group till date.
Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
Mohamed Alhajie Samoura
Mohamed is a seasoned banker with close to two decades of working experience in the Sierra Leonean banking industry. Until his appointment as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Sierra Leone, he was the bank’s Executive Director, Business Development.
He is passionate about banking and has a strong drive to create an impact in the business and financial arena. Mohamed has several accolades and was most recently named among the 100 Most Outstanding Executives in Sierra Leone by the Sierra Ovation Awards.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Mohamed is bringing on board his wealth of experience and understanding of the country’s corporate and institutional banking landscape to further strengthen UBA’s strategic place in the market.
Board Chairman
Claudius Bart- Williams
Claudius is a Financial Economist by profession with over 30 years experience in education, consulting, corporate advisory and finance in the UK and Africa.
As Group Chief Executive of Pennarth Greene, Claudius leads the London and Africa-based licensed advisory and corporate finance firm, linking capital and opportunities in Europe and in emerging markets, especially in Africa. The firm maintains a list of associates in many jurisdictions, which gives it extensive reach in meeting the aspirations of its clients. In the UK, the company is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Clients include Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF), World Bank Group, WAICA Reinsurance Corporation PLC, Eye Foundation Hospital Nigeria, Heineken International, Adam Smith International, UK Department for International Development (DFiD), Deutsche Gesellshaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Ernst & Young, Fragomen, Donewell Life Insurance Company (Ghana), Deme Group (Belgium), Platform Capital (Nigeria), Natural Habitat (Holland) and Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC).
Claudius has also worked as a project or technical consultant for a number of international organisations including the World Bank, IFC, DFID and UNCTAD.
From 2005 – 2008, Claudius was Dean of the Business School of the University of Sierra Leone, leading a major institutional change of the institution.
Prior to 2005, Claudius held academic posts in the UK including as Senior Lecturer as well as being external examiner at several universities in the UK, India, Oman, South Africa and Poland.
Claudius retired as Chairman of Standard Chartered Bank (Sierra Leone) Limited, in 2014 but continues to hold several other non-executive directorships including Royal Insurance Gambia Limited (Gambia), and Marcel De Vere (Tax Advisers, Sierra Leone) Limited.
Claudius holds PhD in Financial Economics.
Independent Non- Executive Director
Desmond Gordon-Williams, M.Sc., MCSM
Desmond is a professional engineer in the metallurgical engineering specialty and has over 35 years of diverse experience in process design, operations, engineering consulting and study management, and mining project valuation. He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Chemistry from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, is a Master of the Camborne School of Mines, Cornwall UK (MCSM) with a M.Sc. in Minerals Engineering, is a member of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (SLIE), a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), holds a Project Management Certificate from the University of Toronto and has completed the Senior Executive Programme at the London Business School.
Desmond has over 35 years varied experience in the mining and minerals and related industries in several countries including Sierra Leone, Canada, USA and Russia including roles as Consultant Metallurgist, Process Engineering Manager, Senior Project Manager and Project Director, Operations and General Manager.
Desmond has worked successfully in multi-national business environments with cross-cultural diverse teams. He also has with varied experience in strategic business planning and corporate governance including serving on supervisory boards and committees, formulating and implementing strategic objectives and working with government and regulatory authorities in the interpretation of natural resources and other related policies and regulations.
He is currently the Managing Director and Principal consultant at Arema Group Ltd., and a Lecturer at the Mining Engineering Department, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.
Mr Gordon-Williams is also a consultant mining engineer with CEMMATS Group Ltd., a non-executive Director at NP SL Ltd., and a Consultant Senior Project Manager at SNC-Lavalin Inc. in Toronto.
Independent Non- Executive Director
Mrs. Blanche Gooding
Mrs Blanche Gooding successfully completed the examinations of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountant in England and Wales in 1984 and became a Fellow of that Institute in 1989. She is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sierra Leone and a member of Council.
Mrs Gooding has over thirty-five years of post-qualification experience in professional accounting. She was Managing Partner for a number of years, of King Walker & Associates, the oldest professional accounting & auditing firm in Sierra Leone. She has also worked in executive management positions in a number of renowned organizations including Unicef, KPMG, Marie Stopes Society, a UK registered charity, and the Road Maintenance Fund Administration, a public sector institution set up by an Act of Parliament, to name but a few. She is also the current treasurer of the Well Woman Clinic, an organisation caring for the general wellness of women in Sierra Leone, but specifically towards the early detection of breast cancer.
After her retirement in May, 2018, Mrs. Gooding joined up with colleagues to set up the Rubicon Agricultural production and Processing Limited in July 2019, a company venturing into the brand new area of Agriculture. She serves as the Director of Finance and is a joint shareholder in the company.
Mrs. Gooding currently serves as non-executive director on the Board of various locally registered organisations.
As a non-executive Director of United Bank for Africa since March 2019, she brings in a wealth of experience to the Bank.
She is married with three children and two grandchildren.
Independent Non- Executive Director
Mr. Sidi Alieu Bakarr
A professional Engineer having a combined 38 years of experience in the Energy, Plant Engineering, and Petroleum Industries with a sound knowledge of energy development, business and engineering. Also a Fellow of the Sierra Leone Institution of Engineers (FSLIE).
Presently Chairman of the Board, Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), Lecturer at Faculty of Engineering, Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, Board Director at Leone Oil Company and Director, Engineering and Business Development at CEMMATS Group S.L Ltd.
Holds a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and an M Phil in Energy. Presently pursuing a Ph D in Energy.
Independent Non- Executive Director
Feyi Ogoji
Feyi Ogoji holds a B.Sc degree in Accounting (Second Class Upper Division) and an MBA degree, both from University of Lagos. He is Chartered Accountant and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants on Nigeria (ICAN), with about three decades of post professional qualification experience in professional accounting practice and Banking. Before he retired in 2018 after about 3 decades in Banking, his last 21 years in was in UBA/the then Standard Trust Bank Plc where his experience spanned Business Development and Relationship Management, Customer Service, Operations and Technology, Internal Control and Reconciliation. He functioned in various senior management capacities such as Group Chief Operating Officer, Director, Group Consumer Banking, Regional Bank CEO, Mid West, pioneer Regional Director, West –post UBA/STB merger, Head, Operations and Process Integration Committee of the historic UBA/STB Merger. As a pioneer turnaround staff member of the then Standard Trust Bank Plc in 1997, he variously functioned as Divisional Director, Operations, Divisional Director, Customer Service, Head, Internal Control and Reconciliation.
He has attended several local and international courses in prestigious institutions, including Harvard Business School, Oxford University Business School, Manchester Business School, and Lagos Business School among others.
Feyi is a tested process engineering , turn around/business transformation leader, he has been actively involved in the training and mentoring programmes all through his 30 years of Banking and Professional Accounting experience.
Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer
Mohamed Alhajie Samoura
Mohamed is a seasoned banker with close to two decades of working experience in the Sierra Leonean banking industry. Until his appointment as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UBA Sierra Leone, he was the bank’s Executive Director, Business Development.
He is passionate about banking and has a strong drive to create an impact in the business and financial arena. Mohamed has several accolades and was most recently named among the 100 Most Outstanding Executives in Sierra Leone by the Sierra Ovation Awards.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science and a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Mohamed is bringing on board his wealth of experience and understanding of the country’s corporate and institutional banking landscape to further strengthen UBA’s strategic place in the market.
Chief Finance Officer
Juliana Asare
Juliana is a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (ACCA) and a certified Treasury Operations dealer (ACI). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Ghana and an MBA (Finance Option) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration.
Juliana has over 14 years of banking experience spanning across financial and regulatory reporting, strategy and performance management, treasury and banking operations.
Prior to joining UBA Sierra Leone, she worked with UBA Ghana.
Head Retail Banking
Victoria Olukotun
Victoria Olukotun is currently the Head of Retail Banking with supervisory role over branches.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. She also holds Masters in Business Administration from the Institute of Public Administration (IPAM), University of Sierra Leone.
Victoria Oluwakemi Olukotun started her banking career in Nigeria in 2007
She Joined UBA (SL) Ltd in 2010. Before her present role as Head of Retail Banking, she has served in several business units of the bank among which are Customer Service, Wholesale Banking unit as a Relationship Officer and branch management as Branch Manager
Victoria is an experienced business development manager with strong foot print in both corporate and retail segments of the market.
Country Head Human Resources
Millicent Yormah
Millicent Y. Yormah is a consummate banker with over a decade of working experience in the Sierra Leone banking industry. And currently, she is the Country Head Resources for the United Bank For Africa (SL) Ltd.
Prior to her current appointment, she was the Head of Customer Services at Zenith Bank (SL) Ltd. where she started her banking career and later moved to Guaranty Trust Bank (SL) Ltd as the Head, Human Resources. She was also the Head, Human Capital Management & Development for FBNBank (SL) Ltd. Until her current appointment with UBA (SL) Ltd. With her passion and drive to create an impact in the industry we are confident that Madam Millicent will be bringing onboard her wealth of experience and understanding of the institutional banking landscape in the country to further strengthen UBA’s share in the market segment and its overall industry leadership aspirations.
Millicent holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. She also holds a post-graduate Diploma in Human Resources from the University of Sierra Leone
Chief Operating Officer
Ngene Chiedu
Ngene Chiedu is the current Chief Operating Officer of the bank. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Physics. He has over 20 years cognate experience in banking spanning across several units. Before his current position, he has served as Chief Operating Officer of Rivers and Delta regions in Nigeria. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of finance and control of Nigeria and Chartered Institute of Strategic Managers and Leaders
Head Treasury
Deinma Iyagba
| Deinma Iyagba is an engineer with over twelve years of experience. He is a member of the Financial Market Dealer Association (FMDA). As a member, he was part of the Foreign Exchange Working Group were he actively participated in the development of Foreign exchange policies for Nigeria. He holds a Master Degree in Gas Engineering and Management and has over twelve years of experience in banking. |
Chief Risk Officer
Emmanuel Komba
Emmanuel Aiah Komba has over Eight (8) years experience in Credit & Risk management.
He is a graduate from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone with a Bsc. in Economics and a Masters
of Arts Degree in Economic Policy Management from the University of Ghana Legon.
Head Information Technology Support
Mohamed Sillah
| Mohamed Sillah is an IT Professional with over Ten Years of Experience. He is a member of the Sierra Leone Information and Technology Association (SLICTA). Mohamed has over 10 years of Experience in Banking Operations with UBA Sierra Leone. |
Sallieu Sesay
| Sallieu Sesay is a seasoned media practitioner with over seven years of experience. He is a senior member of Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ) and a member of the Sierra Leone Public Relations Executives set up by the African Consulting Group. He has worked for both local and international non-governmental organisations in the capacity of communications and public relations expert. |
Our People
At UBA, we realise that our people remain our most valuable assets. Our people are our competitive edge in a highly dynamic and competitive banking environment. We have invested in the best performance management systems to ensure our people always have the cutting-edge skills to excel in what they do.
We also have in place financial and non-financial incentive schemes, including a staff recognition scheme to reward our high-performance staff members for excelling in their duties.
Our staff is multicultural, multilingual, and highly diverse in outlook, reflecting the richness and diversity of the 22 countries we operate in. Our people strategy is hinged on always seeking to employ the best people, and creating a conducive environment for them to excel in their work and to delight customers, while providing competitive remuneration and reward systems to retain our best hands.
UBA employees are fondly referred to as the ‘UBA Lions and Lionesses’, reflecting the confidence with which they deliver financial solutions to the bank’s customers.