"Purpose-driven Banking and the HEART Sectors"
Abubakar Sulaiman — known as Abu — is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sterling Bank Plc, where he has built a reputation as one of Nigeria's most forward-thinking and purpose-driven banking leaders. Appointed CEO in April 2018, he has transformed Sterling into a sector-specialist bank built around the HEART of Sterling: Health, Education, Agriculture, Renewable Energy, and Transportation — five sectors critical to Nigeria's economic future.
Under his leadership, Sterling Bank has posted record profits, more than doubling previous financial year returns, and made history as the first Nigerian bank to pioneer non-interest banking into profitability. He became the first CEO in Nigeria to virtually ring the closing gong at the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Sterling also financed Lagos State's Bus Rapid Transit scheme and deployed a contactless payment system for the network.
Abu began his career at Arthur Andersen (now KPMG Nigeria) in 1996, then joined Citibank as a trader before joining Sterling Bank in 2003 as Group Treasurer. He subsequently served as Integration Director, Executive Director for Retail Banking, and CFO before becoming CEO.
He holds a B.Sc. in Economics from the University of Abuja and an M.Sc. in Major Programmes Management from the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School. He is also an alumnus of Wharton School and INSEAD, with executive education from Harvard Business School. Beyond banking, Abu is a published poet and passionate art patron.
