BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MICHAEL NZEWI – CHAIRMAN
Michael Nzewi is one of the founding partners and currently the Group Managing Director of CardinalStone Partners Limited, a full service, multi-asset management firm licensed by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC”) as Issuing house, Stockbroker, Trustee, Registrar and Asset Manager and also by the Central Bank of Nigeria (“CBN”) to operate as a Finance company.
He has been responsible for driving the strategic direction of the business to create value for its shareholders and has stirred the company towards recording laudable achievements in the nonbank financial services sector.
Michael served as a Director in the Capital Markets division of Standard Chartered Bank (“SCB”), London where he led coverage for Africa. Prior to SCB, Michael served as the Pioneer Head of Investment Banking at Vetiva Capital Management Limited. He began his professional career at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (“PWC”) before joining the Investment banking team at Stanbic IBTC Bank where he led landmark capital market transactions.
Michael holds a BSc. in Accounting from the University of Benin, Nigeria and an MBA from Said Business School, Oxford University, UK. He is also an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
MICHAEL NZEWIChairman
Olaseni Oduwole – Director
Olaseni Oduwole is a highly experienced investment banker with extensive experience in capital markets, privatisation and divestitures, mergers and acquisition as well as structured finance. He was part of the team that commenced investment banking in FBN(Merchant Bankers) limited, now FBN Capital Limited in 1990 and at various times was Head of corporate finance, Head of Credit and Marketing and Chief Executive Officer of Premium Securities, now FBN Securities Limited.
As the General Manager and head of Corporate Finance in Sterling Capital Markets, he was also instrumental to the institution becoming a leading investment banking brand in the country. He has assisted in the listing of a number of companies on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and handled some landmark acquisitions and divestitures transactions. During the consolidation of the financial industry, he played a prominent role in the mergers and acquisitions of a number of banks and insurance companies and also the fund raising exercises of the merged entities. A versatile credit officer, he was involved in the structuring of the financing model, among others, for the construction of major Nigerian infrastructures, including the gas pipeline for the Lagos metropolitan which involved a number of major financial institutions and entailed multi-products instruments.
Olaseni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan and an MBA with specialization in finance from the University of Lagos. He is a Council member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and also a dealing member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He is widely travelled and has attended a number of management and product training programmes organised by INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France, HASS School of Business, University of California, USA and Euromoney, UK.
As the General Manager and head of Corporate Finance in Sterling Capital Markets, he was also instrumental to the institution becoming a leading investment banking brand in the country. He has assisted in the listing of a number of companies on the floor of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and handled some landmark acquisitions and divestitures transactions. During the consolidation of the financial industry, he played a prominent role in the mergers and acquisitions of a number of banks and insurance companies and also the fund raising exercises of the merged entities. A versatile credit officer, he was involved in the structuring of the financing model, among others, for the construction of major Nigerian infrastructures, including the gas pipeline for the Lagos metropolitan which involved a number of major financial institutions and entailed multi-products instruments.
Olaseni holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ibadan and an MBA with specialization in finance from the University of Lagos. He is a Council member of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and also a dealing member of the Nigerian Stock Exchange. He is widely travelled and has attended a number of management and product training programmes organised by INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France, HASS School of Business, University of California, USA and Euromoney, UK.
OLASENI ODUWOLEDirector
Mrs. Ronke Ajibola - DIRECTOR
Mrs Ronke Ajibola is a seasoned professional with over 25 years of experience and sound knowledge in Investment Management, Registered Funds/Portfolio Management, Fixed Income Trading, Treasury Management, Treasury Operations, Treasury-Risk Management and Local Currency Trading, having worked in the environment for about two decades. She is an ACI Certified Dealer and a registered Capital Market Operator with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She started her career in the Information Technology sector with an IT firm, Emporg Limited and later switched to Treasury Management & Fixed Income Trading while working with Associated Discount House Limited (now Coronation Merchant Bank), shortly after the Fixed Income 2- Way-Quote market started in Nigeria. Ronke is widely travelled and has attended several senior management courses, financial, and risk management training programs within and outside the country.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering from the University of Ilorin and an Executive MBA from Lagos Business School
MRS. RONKE AJIBOLADirector
Eguarekhide J. Longe – DIRECTOR
Eguarekhide Longe has over 35 years’ experience working in the Pensions Funds Management, Capital Markets, Stock broking, Asset Management and Investment Banking sectors of the economy. He has hands-on and senior management experience in setting up processes, developing operations/systems, strategy and business and product development.
He was the Managing Director/CEO of AIICO Pension Managers Limited. Prior to his appointment as MD/CEO of AIICO Pension Managers Limited, Eguarekhide worked at Diamond Capital & Financial Markets Limited (subsidiary of Diamond Bank PLC) as the Head of the Asset Management division. He was also the MD/CEO of Kakawa Asset Management Limited from 2005-2008. He also served as a Director of AIICO Insurance PLC.
He has held senior management positions in leading Dealing member firms of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and worked in Pension Management and Venture Capital environments at Shell Trustees Nigeria Limited (now Shell Closed Pension Fund Administrators) and First Funds Limited, respectively.
Eguarekhide holds a B.Sc. in Political Science” University of Ibadan, Nigeria (1986) and an MBA” IESE Business School” University of Navarra, Barcelona, Spain (2002). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers of Nigeria. He is the current Managing Director of NASD PLC the leading OTC Exchange in the country.
EGUAREKHIDE J. LONGEDirector
ONYEBUCHIM OBIYEMI – DIRECTOR
Onyebuchim Obiyemi is the Head of the Investment Banking Division at CardinalStone Partners Limited. She has about 15 years hands on investment banking experience (including Financial Advisory and Capital Markets) spanning various sectors including financial services, FMCG, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Oil & Gas and Public sector. . She also had a stint at the Operations & Technology team at Citibank Nigeria where she commenced her professional career.
She has vast experience and has built significant competence in deal origination and leading execution of Mergers & Acquisitions, Valuation Advisory as well as Debt and Equity Capital Market transactions with various levels of complexity. She is very result oriented and demonstrates in depth analytical and strategic ability coupled with varied experience and insights gained from leading, managing and hands on approach in providing practical advisory and financing solutions to clients. She has learnt to be largely entrepreneurial in approaching potential engagements having worked in boutique investment banking firms which require professionals to proffer and demonstrate top notch value proposition to compete favourably with top tier competitors.
Her key strengths are her leadership capabilities and ability to drive her team to deliver on client engagements and revenue targets as well as very skillful at managing client relationships to build trust. Other core skills she has developed over the years include people management, emotional intelligence and stakeholder engagements given her experience of largely working with C level executives.
Onyebuchim holds a Masters in Investment and Finance from Middlesex University, London and a B.Sc. Accounting from the University of Lagos. She is also an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) and an alumnus of the Lagos Business School where she completed the Senior Management Programme (SMP). She also sits on the Executive Committee of the Association of Issuing Houses of Nigeria (AIHN) where serves as the Executive Secretary for Administration. Onyebuchim enjoys teaching and imparting knowledge as well as supporting growth of small and medium scale businesses.
ONYEBUCHIM OBIYEMIDirector
VICTOR BISONG - MANAGING DIRECTOR
Victor Bisong is an Investment Banker and Capital Market professional with over 15 years Post Graduation experience. He has diverse competence in Auditing, worked on over 10 banks and Insurance companies’ financial due diligence during the Banks/Insurance consolidations exercise within 2005/2006, Management consulting, Corporate Finance, Investment Banking, Trustee services (Private & Public Trusts), Asset and Wealth Management and the Nigerian Capital Market.
He joined Radix Trustees Limited from Imperial Hills Limited, a company he co-founded and was involved in several capital raise, Investment Advisory and Management services across sectors. Prior to joining Imperial Hills, he worked at Transsnet Asset Management Ltd (Sister company of Transsnet Financials a Chinese Fintech company) briefly, where he was responsible in securing the Fund and Portfolio Management License from the Nigeria Securities and exchange Commission (SEC) and later became the pioneer Managing Director from PAC Trustees Limited.
He was later redeployed as Head, Debt Capital Market and Advisory to establish PAC Trustees Ltd as the Pioneer Managing Director, where he secured the operating license with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Nigeria and was engaged in Creation of a full-fledged Trustee subsidiary from Licensing to setting up the entire business process -ERM, IT & Business continuity plans, procedural manuals and reporting template for the various SBU. He provided the trusts structure and custodial services for a N12,000,000,000 debenture with a major Commercial Bank for a series of projects with the real estate space.
Victor joined PAC Capital Limited as Vice President, Head Debt Capital Market & Advisory from Cowry Asset Management Ltd in Lagos, where he was Head of Corporate Finance Division and raised in excess of over N20billion Debt Capital within the Nigerian Capital Market.
Before joining Cowry Asset Management Ltd, he worked for a number of years at Eclat Capital Limited (formerly Maven Kapital Ltd) as Head Advisory reporting directly to the Group Managing Director, Nextzon Business Services Ltd as Associate Consultant and SIAO Chartered Accountant as an Auditor. Victor started his financial services career at First Bank of Nigeria Plc as a Management Trainee under the National Youth Service Corp scheme.
Victor is a graduate of Accounting from the University of Calabar, with an MSC in Finance and Banking, Sponsor Individual/Officer Issuing House with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and a member of the South African Institute for Business Accountants SAIBA (BAP), Institute of Banking, Ireland.
He has attended various Investment Management, trust and Wealth Management trainings as well as Leadership training, both local and international.
VICTOR BISONGManaging Director
