Standard Bank has appointed Marie-Gabrielle Opese as CEO and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. She replaces Amedeo Anniciello, who retired in March 2023.
In this position, Marie Gabrielle Opese has the confidence of her superiors, who believe that she will be able to stay the course to offer the bank attractive growth prospects and investment banking opportunities.
Opese joined Standard Bank in DRC in 2009 as Head of Risk & Company Secretary. In this role, she was also responsible for managing the bank’s credit portfolio as well as legal, compliance and corporate governance. Its main portfolio remains Risk & Credit since 2013. Opese has distinguished itself thanks to the dynamism it has shown since its arrival in 2009 as Head of Risk and Company Secretary at Standard Bank in the DRC, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Prior to joining Standard Bank, Opese worked for Ecobank and Citibank in the DRC where she held various leadership positions in corporate banking, credit, compliance and audit. She has been Deputy CEO for Standard Bank RDC since October 2019, supporting the general direction, management and administration of all aspects of the bank and contributing to the commercial, operational and organisational strategy.
Yinka Sanni, CEO for Africa Regions, Standard Bank, says DRC is a key market as the resource-rich country offers huge growth opportunities: “We are confident that Opese, given its deep knowledge and experience of the DRC market, will continue the growth trajectory in a market with attractive growth prospects and investment banking opportunities.” “We have a long history in the DRC, and with our deep specialization and experience in natural resources, Opese and its management team will continue to focus on the multinational ecosystem and value chain of large local companies,” he said.
Sanni added that growth in the DRC will be driven by Standard Bank’s expertise in working with government, international organizations and the mining sector. Standard Bank is the largest corporate investment bank in the DRC, injecting more than US$300 million into the national economy in the last 12 months.
Opese holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with a concentration in financial analysis from the University of Lubumbashi and a master’s degree in business administration from Beulah Heights University, Atlanta, Georgia.
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