Chief Executive Officer

Roles & Responsibilities

• The CEO provides strategic leadership to drive the company's growth, technological transformation, and market development while ensuring full regulatory compliance and delivering sustainable financial performance. The MD/CEO positions the exchange as West Africa's premier regulated marketplace for securities, supporting capital formation, enabling orderly shareholder exits, and deepening liquidity across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute the company's long-term strategic plan in alignment with the Board's directives and national capital market development objectives.
• Lead transformation initiatives that modernise exchange infrastructure to international market standards.
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships with exchanges, multilateral institutions, DFIs, fintechs, and market intermediaries.
• Serve as primary liaison with the SEC, ensuring ongoing compliance with the ISA 2007, SEC Rules, conditions of registration, and AML/CTF/KYC requirements.
• Ensure the exchange fulfils its SRO responsibilities including market surveillance, trading rule enforcement, and disciplinary proceedings.
• Stimulate secondary market liquidity through market-maker frameworks, broker-dealer network expansion, and investor education.
• Oversee the onboarding, supervision, and performance management of registered broker-dealers and market participants.
• Lead digital transformation of the exchange including modern trading platforms, electronic settlement systems, and fintech-enabled investor access.
• Ensure technology infrastructure delivers reliability, scalability, cybersecurity resilience, and superior user experience.
• Deliver revenue and profitability targets; develop commercial strategies for sustainable growth across multiple income streams.
• Manage the organisation's capital structure and funding strategy to support long-term sustainability.
• Cultivate strong relationships with regulators, market infrastructure partners, broker-dealers, issuers, investors, and international bodies.
• Build and inspire a high-performing team; set the ethical tone ensuring zero tolerance for conflicts of interest, insider dealing, and corruption.
• Establish and maintain a comprehensive enterprise risk management framework; ensure business continuity capabilities are tested and effective

Requirements

• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in capital markets, securities regulation, financial services, or exchange operations
• At least 7 years in C-suite or senior executive roles with P&L responsibility
• Demonstrated experience engaging with the SEC, CBN, or comparable financial regulators at a senior level
• Direct experience in securities exchange management, alternative trading systems ATS, or market operations
• Experience in technology-driven business environments, including platform development and digital transformation
• Track record of driving business growth, transformation, and organisational change
• First degree in Finance, Economics, Law, Business Administration, Accounting, or related discipline
• A postgraduate degree MBA, M.Sc. Finance, M.Sc. Economics, or equivalent
• Professional qualifications such as: Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers CIS fellowship; CFA Charter; ACCA/ACA/ICAN