Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Elizabeth Maddeux

Description

• The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will serve as the strategic and operational leader of the Microfinance Bank, with full ownership for defining and executing the bank’s vision, growth strategy, and value creation agenda.
• The CEO will deliver sustainable financial performance, maintain regulatory compliance, drive product and digital innovation, strengthen risk governance, and ensure superior customer experience and financial inclusion outcomes.
• This role requires a proven leader with strong experience in the financial services sector, preferably within microfinance, retail banking, digital lending, or fintech, who is capable of scaling a financial institution responsibly, profitably, and ethically.
• Direct Reports: Chief Operations Officer, Chief Finance Officer, Head of Engineering, Head of Risk & Compliance, Head of Credit & Recoveries, Head of HR, Head of Digital & Innovation, Head of Business, Head of Marketing & Customer Experience, Legal & Compliance Officer

Key Role Objectives:
The CEO is responsible for:

• Strategic Leadership & Growth: Market expansion, business model innovation, digital banking strategy, growth and profitability.
• Financial Performance & Capital Adequacy: Capital raising, P&L optimization, liquidity management, cost efficiency,investor relations.
• Risk, Governance & Regulatory Compliance: Risk culture, credit portfolio quality, governance, AML/CFT compliance, CBN & regulatory liaison.
• Product & Market Innovation: Microfinance products, SME/retail lending, savings and investment products, digital channels.
• Operational Excellence: Process automation, branch efficiency, digitization, technology adoption, customer service
• Culture, Talent & Leadership: Stakeholder management, performance culture, leadership development, diversity & inclusion
• Brand & Stakeholder Management: Public relations, community impact, partnerships, corporate reputation

Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Business Growth:

• Develop and execute a compelling long-term strategy aligned to the bank’s mission, growth targets, and financial inclusion mandate.
• Identify and penetrate new markets, customer segments, and revenue streams (e.g., agent banking, SME lending, micro-insurance, agri-finance).
• Lead digital transformation initiatives to strengthen financial accessibility, product reach, and operational efficiency.
• Present business performance, risk position, financial statements, and strategic initiatives to the Board and regulators.

Product, Technology & Innovation:

• Oversee the ideation, development, and launch of innovative financial and payment products such as Micro and SME lending products, SME financing, savings, micro-pension,micro-insurance, digital savings and wallet services, POS and merchant acquiring solutions, remittance and bill payment platforms.
• Champion customer-centric product design based on data analytics and UX insights.
• Drive data analytics capabilities to enhance credit scoring models, product performance tracking, customer segmentation, and profitability analysis.
• Partner with the CTO and Product Team to ensure technology scalability, security, and interoperability (e.g., NIBSS, Interswitch, Remita, VISA, Mastercard, etc.).
• Promote open banking and API-driven models that integrate with third-party fintechs, telcos, and digital merchants.

Financial Management & Capital Raising:

• Lead capital raising initiatives: debt, equity, grants, and strategic investments from local and international partners.
• Ensure optimal capital adequacy, liquidity ratios, operational efficiency, and sustainable profitability.
• Develop pricing models, financial projections, and annual operating plans (AOP).
• Manage investors/stakeholders, including venture capital firms, impact investors, DFIs, and financial inclusion partners.

Risk Management & Regulatory Governance:

• Oversee enterprise-wide risk management (EWRM), credit risk, market risk, operational risk, and compliance frameworks.
• Ensure strict compliance with CBN regulations, AML/CFT standards, KYC/Customer Due Diligence, and corporate governance guidelines.
• Monitor credit portfolio quality, delinquency management, and loan recovery effectiveness.
• Foster a culture of ethical conduct, internal control, risk awareness, and regulatory adherence.

Operational Excellence & Service Delivery:

• Optimize end-to-end operations, branch/agent network performance, service delivery, and customer experience frameworks.
• Implement operational risk management, business continuity plans, and service-level standards.
• Strengthen cost efficiency, productivity measures, automation, and workflow digitization.
• Oversee procurement, vendor management, and technology infrastructure.

Leadership, People & Culture Management:

• Attract, develop, and retain high-performing talent aligned with the bank’s values and performance culture.
• Implement performance management systems, succession planning, and leadership development programs.
• Foster collaboration, accountability, innovation, ethical culture, and employee engagement.
• Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and community impact initiatives.

Ecosystem Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement:

• Strengthen relationships with CBN, NIBSS, NDIC, NITDA, card schemes (Visa, Mastercard), telcos, and fintech partners.
• Drive strategic alliances with payment gateways, API providers, agent networks, and international remittance partners.
• Represent the organization in the fintech and microfinance ecosystem as a thought leader on financial inclusion and innovation.
• Collaborate with DFIs, NGOs, and social enterprises for impact lending, women empowerment, and community development programs.

Performance Metrics

• Financial Performance: Profitability, ROE, ROA, loan portfolio growth, cost-to-income ratio.
• Risk & Portfolio Quality: PAR (Portfolio at Risk), NPL ratio, loan recovery rate, regulatory compliance score.
• Operational Efficiency: Operational cost optimization, turnaround time, digital adoption rate.
• Customer & Market Growth: New customer acquisition, customer retention, NPS, product penetration.
• Digital & Innovation: % digital transactions, new product launches, system uptime, automation index.
• People & Culture: Employee engagement score, talent retention, leadership pipeline strength.
• Capital & Stakeholder Management: Funds raised, investor satisfaction, regulatory relationship rating.

Requirements
Academic & Professional Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Economics, Banking, Business Administration, Accounting, or a related field.
• Master’s Degree (MBA or relevant postgraduate qualification) is required.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, ACCA, ICAN, CIBN, PRM, FRM, or other relevant finance/risk certifications are an added advantage.

Experience:

• 10 - 15+ years of progressive leadership experience within the financial services industry.
• Minimum of 5 years in senior management/executive leadership, ideally as CEO/MD, COO, CFO, Head of Business, or similar in microfinance, retail banking, or digital lending.
• Proven record in microfinance, digital banking, fintech, or payments (at least two of the three sectors), with demonstrated success in:
  • Building and scaling digital financial platforms.
  • Raising capital (equity/debt) and managing investor relations.
  • Launching or managing payment systems (POS, gateway, wallet, agency).
  • Leading technology-enabled financial transformation.

Technical & Industry Competencies:

• Excellent understanding of Microfinance business models.
• Excellent understanding of Financial inclusion landscape.
• Excellent understanding of Digital banking ecosystem.
• Excellent understanding of Retail/SME lending and credit risk management.
• Excellent understanding of Data analytics, BI dashboards, and credit scoring models.
• Excellent understanding of Regulatory frameworks (CBN, NDIC, AML/CFT, GDPR/data privacy).
• Excellent understanding of Corporate governance and enterprise risk management.

Key Skills and Attributes:

• Visionary and entrepreneurial mindset.
• Strong business acumen and financial intelligence.
• Excellent decision-making and crisis management skills.
• Innovation-driven leadership and digital fluency.
• Strong execution focus and accountability orientation.
• Inspirational leadership and talent development capability.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Influencing, negotiation, and conflict-resolution strength.
• High emotional intelligence, empathy, and cultural sensitivity.
• High ethical standards, integrity, and transparency.
• Resilience, adaptability, and results-driven approach.
• Community-focused with a passion for financial inclusion.

Remuneration and Benefits

• A competitive salary band of N18,000,000 - N24,000,000 net / Annum.
• Performance Bonuses.
• International Travel Opportunities.
• Health insurance, pension, and executive benefits.
• Opportunity to work with a pan-african financial group.
• Official car, and operational allowance.