Ikenna Egbukole

Ikenna began his professional career in December 2002 at Assurance Bank Limited (now Polaris Bank) as a Relationship Officer in the Commercial Banking Group. His extensive journey in financial services includes pivotal roles in the Corporate Banking teams at Zenith Bank and Bank PHB (now Keystone Bank).

In 2008, Ikenna joined Stanbic IBTC Bank (a member of the Standard Bank Group), where he excelled in the Corporate Banking Coverage team and later in the Structured Trade Finance team, specializing in originating, structuring, and managing complex trade finance deals. His expertise deepened with roles at Standard Bank South Africa and Standard Bank London, where he gained global exposure in Structured Trade and Commodity Finance, financing trade across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East while building deep knowledge across diverse industries and markets.

In August 2014, Ikenna became Head of Structured Trade & Commodity Finance at FirstBank Nigeria, overseeing trade and commodity businesses across the bank and its African subsidiaries. He held this role until November 2022, when he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of MITSUN Group.

In 2025, Ikenna assumed the position of Executive Chairman of MITSUN Group, bringing decades of leadership, strategic insight, and a track record of success in trade finance. A recognized expert and advocate for professionalism in the financial services sector, Ikenna’s core expertise includes Corporate and Investment Banking Coverage, Credit Risk Management, Agricultural Finance, and Structured Trade Finance. He has a proven track record of structuring complex trade and commodity finance deals in the soft commodity, mining, metals, and energy sectors, ensuring receivables are securely ring-fenced.

Ikenna has spearheaded numerous landmark trade finance deals in sub-Saharan Africa and remains a prominent speaker at international trade finance conferences. A recipient of the 2020 FirstBank CEO Award, his professional memberships include The Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria and the International Trade and Forfaiting Association.                                                              
Ikenna holds a bachelor’s degree in Insurance from Imo State University and an Executive MBA from the Lagos Business School (Pan-Atlantic University). He is also an alumnus of INSEAD Business School, France.