Standard Chartered Nigeria has announced the appointment of Ayodeji Adelagun as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited.
Prior to his appointment, Adelagun served as Executive Director, Financial Markets, where he was credited with driving enhanced trading liquidity and strong risk management practices. He was also actively involved in the development of both local and regional markets.
Adelagun, who has been with the bank for over 19 years and has more than 26 years’ experience in the financial services sector, brings extensive expertise spanning financial markets, banking operations, securities trading, foreign exchange trading, asset and liability management, commercial banking, risk management, and credit.
The bank said in a statement on Monday that the appointment reflects its culture of promoting excellence and leadership continuity, while reinforcing confidence among stakeholders in the Nigerian financial industry.
Speaking on the appointment, the bank’s Africa CEO, Dalu Ajene said “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ayodeji ‘Deji’ Adelagun as the Acting Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited. Deji brings a strong track record of leadership, deep market insight, and a clear vision for growth.
“With an extensive background in banking and finance, he brings a wealth of experience and expertise to lead our operations in Nigeria. As a leading international bank, Standard Chartered remains committed to driving economic growth and supporting our clients in Nigeria.
“We are confident that under his leadership, the Bank will further deepen its impact in Nigeria and continue delivering exceptional service and innovative solutions to our clients.”
Adelagun joined Standard Chartered in August 2007 as Head, Rates and Credit Trading, where he was responsible for setting up the Rates and Credit desk.
Prior to joining the bank, he worked in the Banking Operations, Commercial Banking, and Treasury departments of Access Bank Plc. He also previously worked at First Securities Discount House Limited, now FSDH Merchant Bank, where in 2003, he served as the pioneer bond dealer and was responsible for setting up and running the bond trading desk.
Adelagun takes over from Ajene, who was recently appointed Africa CEO and Head of Coverage at Standard Chartered Bank.
Speaking on his appointment, Adelagun said, “I am deeply honoured to assume the responsibility of leading the Bank’s strategic agenda in Nigeria at this pivotal time. Nigeria remains a priority market for the Bank, and our recent recapitalisation, together with a refreshed strategy, clearly underscores this commitment.
“We will continue to support the country by facilitating foreign portfolio flows to help strengthen the economy, and we intend to sustain our leading position in unlocking flows into the country. As a Bank, the voice of our customers has always been central to how we operate, and we remain firmly focused on consistently exceeding the expectations of our diverse client base.
“Our distinctive strengths in cross-border transactions, alongside our Wealth and Affluent focus, remain central to our strategy. These areas give us a clear competitive advantage, and we will continue to grow the business by delivering differentiated solutions that meet our clients’ evolving needs.”
Adelagun is a graduate of Economics from the University of Ilorin and holds an MBA from Lagos Business School. He is also an alumnus of the IESE Business School Executive Management Programme and has attended executive management training at INSEAD.
He is an honorary senior member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the ACI Financial Markets Association, and holds various executive management and leadership certifications, including Executive Management Training at INSEAD.