Thiery Tanoh to take over from Arnold Ekpe as Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational

Ivorian national, and former IFC staff, Thiery Tanoh will take over from Arnold Ekpe as Group CEO of Ecobank Transnational Incorporated, when Mr. Ekpe’s term comes to an end in July 2012.

Mr. Ekpe served two terms totalling 12 years at the helm of affairs at Ecobank building a trans-continental bank in Africa.

At the 24th Annual General Meeting of the bank in Lome, June 15, 2012, Mr. Ekpe gave an emotional speech, recounting the 12 years he had spent at the bank. He thanked his staff, shareholders and family for the support during those trying times.

Mr. Tanoh who was introduced to the shareholders at the AGM, is not a banker. He would work alongside Mr. Ekpe who would finally hand-over to him on his departure from the bank.

Mr. Tanoh was the International Finance Corporation (IFC’s) Vice President for sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Carribean, and Western Europe. He was also a member of the IFC’s Management Team.

He joined the IFC in 1994 through its Young Professionals Programme. He initially worked in the Asia Department and then specialized in the chemicals and petrochemicals sector, handling transactions in Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe.

He moved to Brazil in 2001 to focus on transactions in Latin America. Before becoming a manager, Mr. Tanoh was involved in business development, deal structuring, and processing of some of IFC’s largest transactions.

Prior to joining IFC, Mr. Tanoh worked for a consulting firm in Paris and with the banking commission of the West African Central Bank in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

He holds a French certified public accountant qualification and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi