Ifueko Omoigui Okauru, a former chair of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), has been appointed to lead PZ Cussons Nigeria Plc’s board.
On Friday, the business also announced that it had approved critical board nominees in the aftermath of the retirement and resignation of two members of its senior hierarchy.
The consumer goods producer announced in a statement to the Nigerian Exchange that Gbenga Oyebode has stepped down as chair of its board and a non-executive director, effective January 25.
Mr. Oyebode currently serves as Chairman of Okomu Oil and as an independent non-executive director of Nestle Nigeria.
He has been replaced by Mrs. Okauru, whose tenure took effect on 25 January, following approval of her appointment at a board meeting held after the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) on the same date.
Mrs. Okauru is the first female chair of the company, having joined the board in April 2021 as an independent non-executive director.
She holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, an MSc in Management Science from Imperial College London as well as a BSc in Accounting (First Class) from the University of Lagos.
Mrs. Okauru is a Fellow, of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, a Fellow, of the Compliance Institute of Nigeria, and a Fellow, of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria.
She trained as a chartered accountant and is a strategy and change management consultant with experience in both the private and public sectors. She headed strategy practice at Arthur Andersen and Co, where she spent more than ten years.
“She emerged as the first female Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS),” the document said.
“She currently serves on the boards of MTN Nigeria Plc and Nigerian Breweries Plc. as non-executive Director and on the Boards of AfyaCare Ltd and ReStraL Ltd. as chair.”
Before her latest appointment, Mrs. Okauru was the chairperson of the Audit and Risk Committee as well as the chair of the Statutory Audit Committee and member of the Governance and People Committee of PZ Cussons.
