Union Bank board chairman is dead

The Chairman, Board of Directors of Union Bank Plc, Cyril Odu, is dead.

Mr Odu died on Tuesday, a disclosure sent to the Nigerian Stock Exchange by the bank’s secretary, Somuyiwa Sonubi, said.

The late bank chair joined the Board of Directors of Union Bank in 2012 and was appointed Chairman of the Board of the bank in November 2015.

Prior to his appointment as Chairman, Mr Odu was the Chairman of the Bank’s Risk Management Committee and served as a member of the Finance and General Purpose and Credit Committees.

Mr Odu had nearly 45 years of professional, managerial and director level experience.

His 40-year career at ExxonMobil saw him rise from Trainee to Vice Chairman of the Board of Mobil Producing Nigeria and Chief Financial Officer of ExxonMobil Upstream Companies in Nigeria, making him the highest ranking Nigerian in the organisation until his retirement in 2012.

During the span of his career at ExxonMobil, he served in many technical and managerial functions including Associate Geologist, Treasurer, Controller, Project Finance Director (Europe, Middle East and Africa), Country HR Manager and General Manager, Planning and New Business Development.

After his retirement from Exxon Mobil in 2012, Mr Odu joined African Capital Alliance and then Chief Executive of the firm.

Mr Odu held a Bachelor’s degree in Geology from the University of Ibadan, where he graduated with honours.

He also had an MBA from Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.