Segun Agbaje is the Group Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Holding Company Plc (GTCO), one of Africa’s largest and most profitable financial institutions. He previously served as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc from 2011 to 2021, before transitioning to the holding company structure. With a career spanning more than 35 years in banking and financial services, he has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most respected and influential bankers.
Mr Agbaje joined Guaranty Trust Bank in 1991 as a pioneer staff member, shortly after returning to Nigeria from the United States. He rose through the ranks, holding positions of increasing responsibility, including Financial Controller, Head of Corporate Finance, and Executive Director from 2000 to 2002. He was appointed Deputy Managing Director in August 2002, a role he held until 2011, when he became Acting Managing Director in April 2011 following the medical leave of founder Tayo Aderinokun. He was confirmed as Managing Director and CEO in July 2011, and in 2021 became Group CEO of GTCO.
Under his leadership, GTBank became the first Nigerian company and first Sub-Saharan African bank to be listed on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange through a US$750 million Global Depository Receipts offering in 2006. He also led the bank’s landmark US$350 million Eurobond offering in 2006 and later launched a US$500 million Eurobond without a sovereign guarantee, the first such benchmark by a Sub-Saharan African financial institution. He played a central role in developing the interbank derivatives market in Nigeria and introducing the Balance Sheet Management Efficiency System.
His educational background reflects a strong foundation in accounting and business. He attended St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, Lagos, and St. Augustine Academy, Kent, England, for his secondary education. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration, both from the University of San Francisco, USA. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School and serves on the Advisory Board of Lagos Business School.
Professionally, Agbaje is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a member of several professional bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the Nigerian Institute of Management. He has received numerous awards, including African Banker of the Year (2012, 2016), West African Business Leader of the Year (2015), and multiple CEO of the Year and Banker of the Year honours between 2013 and 2022. In 2020, he was elected to the Board of Directors of PepsiCo Inc. as an independent director, and he serves on the MasterCard Advisory Board for Middle East and Africa. He was also appointed International Ambassador for the Swiss Red Cross in 2024.
Beyond banking, he has invested in technology, real estate, and other sectors, and has expressed interest in mentoring young entrepreneurs and supporting Africa-focused organisations. He is married to Derin Agbaje (née Olakunrin), an interior designer, and they have children.