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29 September 2014
Barclays Africa Group announces the appointment of Francis Okomo-Okello and Alex Darko to the Board as independent non-executive directors with effect from 1 October 2014 to reflect the Pan-African nature of the Group. Additionally, Brand Pretorius has decided to step down from the Board having served as a non-executive director since 2009. Brand will continue as chairman of the Group Remuneration and Human Resources Committee (GRHRC) and as a member of the Directors’ Affairs Committee and the Social and Ethics Committee until 31 October 2014.
Commenting about the Board changes, Wendy Lucas-Bull, Chairman of Barclays Africa Group, said: “In line with our previously stated intention to appoint two additional Board members to reflect the Pan-African nature of the Group, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Francis and Alex to our Board.
They bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise and we look forward to their contributions. I also wish to thank Brand for his dedication, insight and wisdom during his tenure on the Board. Brand has decided to dedicate more time to both his community work and his family. He has made a significant contribution to both Absa and Barclays Africa Group and we shall miss his counsel when he leaves us at the end of October.”
On his decision to step down from the Barclays Africa Group Board, Brand said: “Over the past five years, I have enjoyed a rich, rewarding time as a member of the Absa and Barclays Africa boards. This was an exceedingly difficult decision for me to make but the time has come for me to focus on my leadership mentoring and coaching portfolio, the various community activities that I am involved in but more importantly, to commit more time to my wife and family, particularly my seven grandchildren.
I would like to thank Barclays Africa for entrusting me with such a stimulating responsibility and the opportunity to be part of its journey in becoming the ‘Go-To’ Bank in Africa.”
Mohamed Husain, Chairman of the Social and Ethics Committee and a member of both the Group Audit and Compliance and the Directors’ Affairs Committees, will succeed Brand as chairman of the GRHRC.
About Francis Okomo-Okello
Francis is the current chairman of Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited (Barclays Kenya). He holds an LLB Honours degree from the University of Dar-es-Salaam and is an Albert Parvin fellow of Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, and a fellow of The Kenya Institute of Bankers. He serves as chairman of TPS Eastern Africa Limited (Serena Group of Hotels and Lodges), and as a non-executive director of the Nation Media Group.
Currently, Francis is the Executive Director in charge of Legal and Corporate Affairs at Industrial Promotion Services Group of Companies, an affiliate of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. He also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Strathmore Business School, Strathmore University, Nairobi and is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Aga Khan University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences – East Africa.
About Alex Darko
Alex is a seasoned executive with over 30 years international management experience. He holds an MSc in management information systems and is a fellow of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants. He held senior positions in finance, re-engineering, change management and IT in Europe, the USA and Africa; in areas such as business information, publishing, mining and the public sector.
Alex was Vice President, Knowledge and Information (Chief Information Officer) at AngloGold Ashanti Limited from 2005 to 2010 and was responsible for the Group’s Information Systems and Telecommunications function. Alex also serves on the Boards of Business Connexion Limited, Consolidated Infrastructure Group Limited and Mazor Group Limited