CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Udu Ovbiagele
Udu holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and International Relations from the University of Reading, England, and an MBA in International Business from The Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham, England. He also holds a Post Graduate Certification in The Mechanics of International Trade & Finance (CITF) jointly awarded by the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF) and Middlesex University, London, England. He is a certified Commercial Banking and Credit Analyst (CBCA), awarded by the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) of Vancouver, Canada. He is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers. (FCIB), and well as a Fellow of the National Institute of Credit Administrators. (FICA) He is an alumnus of the London Business School where he has undertaken executive level leadership training.
Udu commenced his banking career in Zenith Bank Plc’s Domestic Operations Group which offered him a firm grounding of the various aspects of the Bank's operations, prior to him venturing into the wide spectrum of Corporate Banking at the Group’s Head Office. His vast banking experience spans over two decades and cuts across various sectors including manufacturing, trading, hospitality, non-bank financial institutions, commercial real estate & Infrastructure, Project finance, Investment Banking, Development Finance, Telecomms, Agency Banking, Financial Technology and International Trade and finance. He has served in various supervisory capacities over the years, and as such has been actively involved in business development, corporate strategy, facility structuring, loan syndication and income optimisation. Prior to his appointment as CEO, Udu was the Zenith Bank (UK) Ltd Executive Director overseeing the Trade Finance Group, Correspondent Banking Group, the Dubai Branch, the Multinational Corporates Group, the Institutional Banking Group as well as the Digital Marketing Group.
Udu has been exposed to various training and management programmes, some of which include Treasury, Correspondent Banking, Bond and FX trading, Trade Services, Financial Control, Advanced Credit analysis, Risk Management, Internal Control, and Compliance. He has also played key roles in several development projects in the Group including, but not limited to, electronic business, Investment Banking and Credit Risk Management.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Chidi Ogbata
Chidi Ogbata is an experienced international banking professional with nearly three decades of expertise spanning corporate banking, wealth management, trade finance, commercial lending, banking operations and business development. He has worked with various financial institutions including Zenith Bank Plc, Standard Chartered Bank, Citizens International Bank (now Heritage Bank), and Zenith Bank UK Limited, contributing across a range of banking and client-focused functions.
At Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, Chidi held a number of leadership and client management roles, including managing branches at different periods of his career. He also managed the Portfolio Small Business segment within the SME Banking Division, where he contributed to portfolio growth and customer expansion initiatives. At Zenith Bank UK, he established and coordinated the Africa Desk, supporting the bank’s international business development efforts and strengthening relationships across Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.
Prior to his appointment as Executive Director, Chidi served as Head of Corporate Banking and Wealth Management at Zenith Bank UK, where he was involved in the structuring and execution of cross-border transactions across the energy, commodities, and infrastructure sectors. His work supported corporates, multinational institutions, and private clients seeking innovative and sustainable financing solutions.
Chidi holds an Executive MBA from London Business School, a Master’s degree in Development Finance from Stellenbosch Business School, and a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from University of Nigeria. He has also completed postgraduate certificate courses in Renewable Energy, Credit Risk Analysis, and International Trade at Middlesex University.
Beyond banking, Chidi serves as President of the UK & Ireland Chapter of the Stellenbosch Business School Alumni Association and is a trustee of a UK-based charity focused on poverty alleviation across Africa. He is recognised for his commercial insight, relationship management expertise, and ability to support sustainable business growth across international markets.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/ CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Adeyemi Paul-Taiwo
Adeyemi Paul-Taiwo is the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, where he provides strategic leadership across finance, prudential governance, operational oversight, and enterprise transformation. In his role, he supports the Chief Executive Officer and Board in shaping and executing the Bank’s long-term strategy, while overseeing key control and enabling functions including Finance, Compliance, Risk, Technology, Client Due Diligence, and Data. He also plays a leading role in regulatory engagement, capital and liquidity management, and the delivery of the Bank’s strategic growth and transformation agenda.
With more than two decades of experience spanning international banking and professional services, Adeyemi has developed deep expertise in financial strategy, regulatory reporting, enterprise risk governance, capital planning, and large-scale transformation delivery. He has led several high-impact initiatives, including multi-million-dollar core banking modernisation programmes, enterprise-wide data governance enhancements, and regulatory remediation initiatives designed to strengthen operational resilience, reporting integrity, and governance standards. He maintains active engagement with regulators across multiple jurisdictions, including the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR), and Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
Prior to becoming Executive Director, Adeyemi served as Chief Financial Officer of Zenith Bank (UK) Limited from 2019, where he was responsible for financial strategy, regulatory and statutory reporting, budgeting, capital management, and enterprise-wide transformation programmes. During this period, he helped strengthen the Bank’s financial and governance framework while overseeing complex regulatory and strategic initiatives. Before joining the UK subsidiary, he held several senior leadership positions within Zenith Bank Plc, including Head of Regulatory Reporting, Group Accountant, and Head of Management Information. Earlier in his career, he worked with KPMG Professional Services Nigeria, where he provided assurance and advisory services to major organisations across the telecoms, consumer goods, shipping, beverage, and entertainment sectors.
Adeyemi holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from MIT Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), one of the world’s leading institutions for business, innovation, and technology leadership. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from University of Lagos, where he graduated second in a class of 150 students.
He is a Fellow of both the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), United Kingdom, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA). He also holds an Associate membership of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria and a Diploma in IFRSs from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Known for his strategic rigour, strong ethical standards, and collaborative leadership style, Adeyemi is widely respected for his ability to navigate complex regulatory environments, drive transformation, and build high-performing teams. He is regarded as a trusted adviser to Boards and senior stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
John Driscoll
John has a wealth of experience in banking with a career of over 40 Years. Prior to joining Zenith Bank (UK) Limited, John has worked for ScotiaBank, ABN Amro, UBS and Barclays. During his time in the Middle East, he built two Islamic Banks and is a former member of Deutsche Bank’s regional inspection team based in Singapore.
GENERAL COUNSEL AND COMPANY SECRETARY
Joseph Crowley
Joseph brings a wealth of experience in managing the legal support and risk within the banking industry having been a General Counsel and Head of Legal for over 26 years and an in-house banking lawyer for over 30 years. In that time, he has established the Legal function in three international banks. Working across sectors in financial and commodity derivatives, physical trading, trade finance, investment funds, general lending and Islamic Finance through his experiences at Credit Lyonnais group, Credit Agricole group and the Islamic bank, Bank of London and the Middle East Plc, he has gained extensive knowledge of products, structures and services and has held geographical responsibilities for the UK, Northern and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. Prior to this Joseph worked in private practice as a Company Commercial solicitor. Joseph is a Company Secretary with proficiency in corporate governance.
Joseph is a qualified solicitor and holds an MBA from Reading University, the Islamic Finance Qualification from the Securities Institute and is a Chartered Manager from the Chartered Management Institute.
HEAD OF MARKETS
Mark Parlour
Mark joined Zenith Bank (UK) Limited in December 2015 following 16 years at Nedbank London where he was Head of Global Markets. Over 25 years’ experience in Bank Treasury Management and Trading roles having previously worked for West Merchant Bank, Postipankki and Bank of Boston.
CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER
Niranjan Patel
Niranjan holds a LLB (Hons) and a Diploma in Financial Crime Compliance (AML). He is a qualified solicitor with over 12 years of financial services industry experience and specialises in AML and regulatory compliance.
Niranjan joined Zenith Bank UK in 2018 as Deputy Compliance Manager. He progressed to MLRO in 2020 and in 2022, became Chief Compliance Officer.
Prior to joining Zenith Bank UK, Niranjan worked for Bank of China, Bank of Ireland, First Currencies Services and Post Office Financial Services, where he was responsible for the implementation and on-going testing of their respective compliance monitoring programs.
