Greenwich Holdings Limited (GHL) has named Mr. Samson Oyewale Ariyibi as its first Group Managing Director, following the receipt of all required regulatory approvals and ahead of the formal commencement of the company’s operations under its new holding-company structure.
Announcing the appointment, Chairman of the Board, Kayode Falowo, explained that the decision is aimed at ensuring strong governance and strategic leadership as the Group transitions into a new phase of growth.
A multi-sector career spanning three decades
Ariyibi brings more than 34 years of executive experience across financial services, insurance, pensions, and conglomerate management. He began his career at Ernst & Young in 1991 before joining Price Waterhouse (now PwC) in 1996, where he developed a reputation for diligence and strong analytical performance.
He most recently served as Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer of First Holdco Plc (formerly FBN Holdings Plc.), where he strengthened groupwide financial governance and helped streamline operational processes.
- Having joined First Holdco in 2013 as one of its pioneer executives, Ariyibi played a central role in implementing the financial holding company structure approved by the Central Bank of Nigeria.
- Before that, he was Group CFO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc., where he contributed to a major corporate turnaround.
- His earlier career included senior finance roles at Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, National Bank of Nigeria (now Wema Bank), Standard Trust Bank (now UBA), First Atlantic Bank (now FCMB), and Pensions Alliance Limited. He also served on multiple boards within the First Holdco Group.
Academic and professional credentials
Ariyibi holds a BSc in Microbiology from the University of Ilorin and an MBA in Marketing from the University of Lagos.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (CITN), a member of the Certified Pension Institute of Nigeria (CPIN), and a Member of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria.
He has also completed executive leadership programmes at Harvard Business School, Wharton, London Business School, Kellogg School of Management, and the Global CEO Programme offered jointly by IESE Business School and MIT Sloan. He is a recipient of the Knight of John Wesley (KJW) award.
What you should know
Founded in 1994, Greenwich has grown into a notable Nigerian financial services group with interests spanning merchant banking, asset management, securities trading, and advisory.
- Earlier this year, the company announced it had secured the approval of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to become a holding company.
- According to the company, the transition to a holding-company structure marks a major step in its long-term expansion strategy.
- The new structure is intended to strengthen governance, improve operational agility, and give the Group a broader platform for scaling its businesses across the financial services ecosystem.
