Mortgage personality: Rose Okwechime

Rose A. Okwechime is a consummate banker and entrepreneur with over 35 years working experience cutting across the spectrum of the banking industry. She started her banking career at the Bank of England where she worked for slightly over nine years, from 1971 – 80. Her experience there saw her working in the Economic Intelligence Unit, to the Clearing Unit and finally as Cost Analyst.

After her sojourn in the UK, she returned to Nigeria in 1980 and joined the then Bank of Credit and Commerce Int’l Nigeria Ltd, later known as (African Int’l Bank plc) in 1981. She distinguished herself in branch management and was at various times an assistant manager, operations manager and eventually rose to the position of principal manager and head of the bank’s corporate banking unit.

She left AIB plc in 1992, when she along with some selected Nigerian investors decided to venture into the mortgage banking sector by establishing Abbey Building Society plc, with her as the pioneer managing director/CEO. In spite of the numerous challenges that have bedevilled the mortgage banking sector and the financial industry in general, she has worked assiduously since 1992 to position Abbey as one of the leading mortgage banks in Nigeria today, with 10 branches nation-wide, employing over 220 staff and providing home finance to numerous Nigerians.

Her vast experience in the industry led to her appointed to the boards of several banks and other financial institutions. These included then Platinum Bank Ltd from 2002 – 2005, Standard Trust Bank Ltd 2005-2007 and United Bank for Africa plc (UBA) from 2007 – 2010. As a result of her professional and excellent performance during her first appointment on the board of UBA, she was recently reappointed to the board of the bank in June 2012. She has also been on the board of UBA in Ghana and the UK at various times. She is on the board of Rosabon Financial Services Ltd, a company she also co-founded from 1991 to date.

In her bid to develop the young in society and bequeath to them the best education available, she along with her husband in 2002 established one of the best International Catholic co-educational secondary schools in Nigeria – Infant Jesus Academy, Asaba, Delta State. The school, which is now 10 years, has contributed to the educational development of its catchment area Delta State and the nation as a whole.

Currently, the school has over 500 students studying in a serene environment with the best available educational amenities and directly employs about 200 well-trained academic and non-academic staff. Apart from providing educational and employment opportunities to the people of Delta State and beyond, the school has contributed to the overall development of the state.

R.A. Okwechime is a philanthropist, who has contributed and touched the lives of the less fortunate in the society. She has over the years contributed to well known causes such as the physically challenged in the society, like the Dawn Syndrome, Pacelli Schools and Wesley Schools for the Blind and Partially sighted, Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria and orphanages. Several individuals have also benefited from her philanthropy through direct intervention inform of medical aid for treatment and scholarship awards.

In furtherance of fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities, she recently got the school (Infant Jesus Academy) to donate relief materials to the victims of the flood disaster in Delta State.