Marie-Gabrielle Opese has been named as Standard Bank’s Chief Executive and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Ms Opese joined Standard Bank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2009 as Head of Risk and Company Secretary. She was also in charge of the bank’s credit portfolio management as well as Legal, Compliance, and Corporate Governance in that capacity. Since 2013, her principal portfolio has been Risk & Credit.
Ms Opese previously worked for Ecobank and Citibank in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she held various senior executive positions in Corporate Banking, Credit, Compliance, and Audit.
Since October 2019, she has served as the Deputy Chief Executive of Standard Bank DRC, assisting with the general direction, management, and administration of all elements of the bank, as well as contributing to the commercial, operational, and organizational strategy.
According to Mr. Yinka Sanni, Standard Bank’s Chief Executive for Africa Regions, the DRC is a key market because the resource-rich country offers enormous growth opportunities: “We are confident that Ms Opese, given her in-depth 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 specialisation and long-term experience in natural resources, Ms Opese and her executive team will continue to focus on the multinational ecosystem and the value chain of large local businesses,” he explained.
Mr Sanni went on to say that Standard Bank’s expertise in working with governments, international organizations, and the mining sector will help the DRC’s progress.
Standard Bank is the DRC’s largest corporate investment bank, with approximately US$300 million invested in the national economy in the last year.
Ms Opese holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Lubumbashi University, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from Beulah Heights University in Atlanta, Georgia.
