Board Of Directors

Mr. Cliff Adams Bitrus

(BTech, MBA, MSc, MCTS, MCITP, OCA, PRINCE2, MCPN) – Founder and Director

Cliff Adams Bitrus is the founder and director of Datalinks Finance and Systems Consulting Limited. He holds a B.Tech in Computer Science from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, MBA (Banking and Finance) from ESUT Business School, Lagos and an MSc Data Science from Robert Gordon University (RGU) United Kingdom. He is a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS SQL Server), Microsoft Certified Information Technology Professional (MCITP Dynamics AX), Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) and a Certified Project Manager (PRINCE2). Mr. Bitrus is a seasoned and well-tested software developer and IT Consultant with vast experience in both private and public IT and Accounting Projects. He is a former Vice President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and member of Computer Professionals of Nigeria (MCPN).

He has attended several courses both local and foreign and has been involved in the development and implementation of many systems both in the public and private sectors. In his over 5 years sojourn as IT manager in Merchant Bank of Commerce/Continental Trust Bank, he spearheaded a team that developed and implemented Eazybanc banking application which was used by the then Merchant Bank of Commerce Limited for 5 years.

He participated actively as a member of the strategy committee in the early days of the conversion of the then Crystal Bank to Standard Trust Bank Limited. He later served as a member of the Standard Trust Bank’s IT Steering Committee for 2 years.

In recent years, he has worked extensively as a consultant on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Business Intelligence (BI) solutions in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Henry Akeni

(BSc, MSc) – Managing Director

Mr. Henry Akeni is an Executive Director of Datalinks Finance and Systems Consulting Limited, with responsibilities for product development and administration. He has over fifteen years of professional experience spanning Commercial Banking, Mortgage Banking, Investment Banking (Asset Management), Insurance and financial advisory services and manpower development. Overtime he has developed competences in the practice of Financial Management, Equity Analysis, Financial Statement Analysis (including an in-depth knowledge of the “International Financial Reporting Standard”-IFRS) and Corporate Finance (Special biases for project analysis, capital budgeting tools, option pricing tools, financial modeling and budgeting).

Before assuming his current position, Henry has held managerial positions with some notable financial institutions and firms. He was the Chief Operating Officer/Chief Finance Officer of PHB Asset Management; with responsibilities for overseeing the finance, operations and portfolio management functions. He was also responsible for providing strategic direction to the firm. As the Chief Finance Officer and Head of Strategy at GTHomes Limited (A subsidiary of Guaranty Trust Bank PLC), he was responsible for the treasury functions, analysis of the risk and profitability of proprietary investment in the real estate business (primary and secondary investment), developing mortgage and other ancillary products in partnership with other management team, liaising with foreign financial institutions ( International Finance Corporation, and other private equity firms) for funding and direct equity investment in the firm, finance and strategy functions. He was partly instrumental in sourcing and management of over N8billion funding for some of the firm’s proprietary investment. At start up he successfully set up the finance department and also guided the strategy session of the firm leading to the crafting of the vision and mission statement.

At the United Bank for Africa (UBA) he played a key role in the set up and design of the performance management unit of the bank after the merger with the erstwhile Standard Trust Bank PLC. Models were developed by the team in the appraisal of marketing and non-marketing staff in 2005. He was also responsible in developing the internal transfer pricing model for the bank to measure financial performances of branches and other strategic business units. He has a strong understanding of banking operations, having worked at different operations units in the erstwhile Standard Trust Bank PLC.

Henry also played a key and strategic role in the turnaround of the insurance businesses of the Bank PHB group (Insurance PHB and PHB Health Care). The effect was felt in the areas of premium collections, investment income and profitability of these firms. Henry also has dexterity in the use of Excel and financial modeling. Henry sits on the board of four companies including OSIQUIP Nigeria Limited, Think Microfinance, PICO Nigeria Limited and BH Kapital & Konsult Limited.

He holds a Bachelors (BSc) degree in Finance and Banking and also Masters (MSc) in Finance from the University of Port Harcourt and Maiduguri respectively. He is also a level 2 candidate of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Programme.

Mr. Benedict Omonua

(Bsc, MBA, CFA)

Benedict Omonua has 17 years of Finance experience spanning from Arthur Andersen (now KPMG), Standard Trust Bank (Now United Bank for Africa Plc – West Africa’s largest bank), Keystone Bank and WildTrust Nigeria Limited. He is a prize winning graduate of Economics and Statistics from the University of Benin. He is also a prize winning Chartered Accountant (ACA). Benedict is an associate of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants UK (ACCA), Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers Nigeria( ACIS) and fellow of the Institute of Cost Management (FICM). Benedict is a CFA charter and also has an MBA from the prestigious London Business School.

Benedict has built an enviable career as an Investment Manager and turnaround expert. He played a pivotal role in the emergence of Standard Trust Bank (now UBA) as a retail banking powerhouse as member of the Strategy Implementation Committee (SIC) and as Group Head of Business Process and Control Improvement. In 2009, he was deployed to lead the turnaround of the insurance business portfolio of Keystone Bank comprising Insurance PHB, Spring Life and HealthCare PHB. These companies have since moved from red to black. Benedict sat on the Board of 6 companies while in Keystone Bank including PHB Asset Management, Insurance PHB, Spring Life, PHB Sierra Leone etc.

Benedict has consummate banking experience. As Group Head Strategy in Platinum Bank (now Keystone Bank) , he led the bank’s merger with the defunct Habib Bank, he played a pivotal role in the bank’s expansion across the West African Region. As MD/CEO of PHB Asset Management Ltd, Benedict led various capital raising transactions including N30 billion placements and listing by African Alliance Plc, N500 million convertible bond by Expert Care, N500million placement by Osiquip.

Benedict Omonua, who has undergone extensive International investment management training by Fortis Investments in London, Belgium and France in addition to understudy programmes of retail banks in India.