Advans La Fayette Microfinance Bank gets new Management team

In order to leverage its transformation drive, Advans La Fayette Microfinance Bank has announced the appointments of new executive staff members.  

The company appointed Gaëtan Debuchy as its new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, while Obinna Ukachukwu was appointed as the Deputy/Chief Executive Officer. More so, Jean-Luc Nzoubou got appointed as the company’s Deputy/Chief Executive Officer (Network).  

“We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gaëtan Debuchy who will be replacing me as the new MD/CEO of Advans La Fayette MfB, he brings great banking and microfinance experience on board, with over 20 years’ experience in the finance sector creating innovative products,” the bank’s former MD/CEO, Guillaume Valence was quoted. 

The new MD/CEO’s profile: Gaëtan Debuchy has 15 years of experience in the banking sector. He started his career at the Société Générale, a French multinational investment bank, where he established the migrants market segment and served as Project Manager working with five subsidiaries in Africa and Eastern Europe on the organisation of retail, focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Debuchy lived in Senegal, where he has created, implemented, and serves as general manager of Manko. 

Ukachukwu’s profile: He is a business growth expert. His decade long experience in SME developmental finance, Retail Banking Sales, Supply Chain Finance, Credit analysis, Sales and Business Banking has given him an edge in identifying growth opportunities in businesses and developing new markets. His leadership skills have been honed over the years, through direct leadership roles, mentoring and formal education. 

Ukachukwu is the Executive in charge of business development and growth at Hygeia HMO Limited, Nigeria’s foremost health management company. He leveraged his current position to create various channels and partnerships that enabled the effective distribution of health insurance services and to create various methods to improve access to finance for operators in the health sector. He recently founded Accelerate African Ventures GTE/LTD, a platform built to mentor and support the growth of budding African businesses. 

He was the Country Head of SME banking at StanbicIBTC Bank (Standard Bank Nigeria). In his role, he provided leadership for the bank as they sought to grow emerging businesses in Nigeria. Standard bank is the largest bank in Africa and its reach gave Obinna vast regional and global exposure in the business of SME Finance and Banking 

Ukachukwu has a Bachelors degree in Electrical Electronic Engineering, he also holds a global MBA (Finance) from the Manchester Business School; he has the Retail banking certification from the Retail Banking Academy (London), and has been involved in various developmental courses both in Africa and internationally. 

Nzoubou’s profile: He is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Advans La Fayette Microfinance Bank (Network). He has work experience in the finance sector spanning up to 20 years, 13 of which has been spent working in the microfinance sector.

He joined Advans Cameroun as the director of Human Resources and Logistics for 5 years before joining Advans Cote d’Ivoire as the Branch Director/ Head of Network Expansion, Assistant Director of Operations in charge of network supervision, Operations and Litigation Manager and the Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive Officer.  

Nzoubou has a Degree in Private Law and Criminal Sciences from the University of Douala. He holds a Master’s degree in Private Law, Business Law option, from the University of Douala, also an MBA with a major in Human Resources Management, from Ecole Supérieure des Sciences Economiques et Commerciales (ESSEC) in Douala; he worked at ADAR SA Company as Legal and Human Resources Consultant and after the completion of his MBA before he joined Advans Group. 

He joined Advans La Fayette Microfinance Bank in 2019 taking on the role of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Network).