Access Holdings has announced plans to appoint an acting Group chief Executive Officer (GCEO) following the tragic passing of Herbert Wigwe, who served as the Group CEO before his untimely demise.
Gatekeepers News reports that Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and Abimbola Ogunbanjo, the former group chairman of the Nigerian Exchange Group Plc (NGX Group), lost their lives in a helicopter crash in the United States.
The Eurocopter EC130 helicopter conveying them crashed around 10pm on Friday in California — 7am on Saturday in Nigeria — near the Nevada border.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the United States, during a media briefing held at 6pm Pacific time on Saturday (3am on Sunday in Nigeria), said an investigation into the crash pointed to rainy and wintry weather as reasons for the accident.
In response to the vacancy left by Wigwe’s passing, Access Holdings stated that it will soon announce the appointment of an acting GCEO in accordance with the company’s policy.
“In line with the Company’s policy, the Board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr. Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence,” Access Holdings said.
Before his passing, Wigwe had served as the Group CEO for two years, following his appointment on March 28, 2022.
He held various positions within Access Bank, including deputy managing director and group managing director 2012 to 2014, when he became the group managing director and CEO.
Additionally, Wigwe served as chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System (CSCS), Access Bank (UK) Limited, and Unified Payments Services Limited.
