The board of Access Holdings Plc is set to announce an interim Group Chief Executive Officer to fill the position left vacant by the late CEO, Herbert Wigwe.

The company, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed Wigwe’s death alongside his wife and son  in an helicopter crash in United States on Friday.

According to the statement signed by the Group Company Secretary, Sunday Ekwochi, the appointment of a new head was in line with the company’s policy.

“In line with the company’s policy, the board will soon announce the appointment of an Acting Group Chief Executive Officer even as we remain confident that the Access Group will build further on Dr. Wigwe’s legacy of growth and operational excellence,” the statement read in part.

Also on board the ill-fated chopper are three others including the former Chairman of Nigeria Exchange Group, Abimbola Ogunbajo.

Preliminary reports suggest that the crash could have been caused by wintry weather and rain, a member of National Transportation Safety Board said after a press briefing on Sunday.
Wigwe was appointed Access Holdings GCEO on March 28,  2022.

Prior to his appointment, he had occupied various positions within Access Bank, from being the deputy managing director at Access Bank from 2012 to 2014, when he became the group managing director and CEO.

He served as the chairman of Access Bank (Ghana), Access Investment & Securities Limited, Central Securities and Clearing System and presently as chairman of Access Bank Limited and Unified Payments Services Limited.

Meanwhile, more tributes have continued to poor in for the late banker.

The latest is business man, Femi Otedola, who described Wigwe’s death as a “loss of banking genius”.