Profile of Herbert Wigwe, the Access Bank CEO who died in US helicopter crash with wife and son

The co-founder of Access Bank, a major Nigerian financial institution, lost his life in a tragic helicopter crash in California on Friday, 9th February 2024.

Herbert Wigwe, along with his wife, son, and a former president of the Nigerian stock exchange, were among the six individuals who perished in the accident.

A funeral service is being held to bid the deceased a final farewell.

Here is a profile of Herbert Wigwe as published on the website of Access Bank.

Mr. Wigwe started his professional career with Coopers & Lybrand Associates, an international firm of Chartered Accountants. He spent over 10 years at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc where he managed several portfolios, including financial institutions, large corporates and multinationals.

He left Guaranty Trust Bank as an Executive Director to co-lead the transformation of Access Bank Plc in March 2002 as Deputy Managing Director. He was appointed Group Managing Director/CEO effective January 1, 2014, and served in that capacity till May 2022. He was subsequently appointed a Non-Executive Director of the Bank effective May 2022.

Mr Wigwe was an alumnus of the Harvard Business School Executive Management Programme. He had a master’s degree in Banking and International Finance from the University College of North Wales, a master’s degree in Financial Economics from the University of London and a B.Sc. degree in Accounting from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He was also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN). Mr Wigwe was the Chairman of The Access Bank (UK) Ltd and a Non-Executive Director of Nigerian Mortgage Refinance Company Plc; FMDQ OTC Securities Exchange; Shared Agents Network Expansion Facilities Ltd and Agri-Business/ SME Enterprises Investment Scheme. He was also a member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria.





BB