Herbert Wigwe is in the league of men whose fame have a hard time catching up with their remarkable achievements. He is the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank. You may have heard of them. Under his leadership the Bank, has roared into the limelight, with the many brilliant strides and policies executed since he took over at the helm.He is easily one of the best banking brains and business leaders on the continent – evident in his immense contribution to the African banking industry. Herbert’s story is a remarkable one and his journey up until this point is enough blueprint for anyone looking to achieve success in their path.

Proper Education is an Investment That Keeps on Giving:

Herbert had his university education in Nigeria, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He graduated with a second class upper degree in Accounting and then proceeded to get an MBA in Banking and Finance from the University College of North Wales and an MSC in Financial Economics from the University of London. He is a man who had a target and recognized the required educational foundation for the path he chose. His focus and persistence in following through on his education has all paid off in his career – as is evident for all to see.

Practise and Practise:

Herbert started out his career at the Coopers and Lybrand Associates, Lagos, as a management consultant. He soon got to be a chartered accountant and subsequently went to work at Guaranty Trust Bank Limited. In his time at the bank, spanning over a decade, Herbert rose through the ranks to become the Executive Director – Corporate and Investment Banking. Herbert’s career lends credence to the point that practice is what you do that makes you good. His work ethic and dedication to his career path is exemplary.

Take a Chance, Seize The Moment(s):

After over a decade at Guaranty Trust Bank, Herbert and his business partner, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede acquired Access Bank, which was a rather small commercial bank at the time (2002). Under their leadership, the bank has seen drastic improvements – from being ranked 65 out of the 89 commercial banks in the country at the time to being among the top 5 financial institutions in the country today.

Everything Herbert had done up until that moment had prepared him uniquely for success. His professionalism, work ethic and brilliance had been evident long before the Access Bank deal. He practiced and practiced, did his due diligence and, when the moment arrived to venture out, he was ready.

There you go. Do well to watch this space for more success voices that we will be posting about subsequently.