British Arab Commercial Bank (BACB), a specialist UK bank for African markets, has appointed David Oberheim as its new Director of Anglophone Africa.

Oberheim reports directly into Head of Client Coverage, Jeff Fallon.

Oberheim brings almost 20 years of experience of trade finance and relationship banking in African markets to his new role.

He joins BACB from First City Monument Bank (FCMB), where he spent four years in the position of Manager of Trade Services managing the Bank’s relationships with its Nigeria-based financial institution clients.

Prior to this, he was Director of Financial Institutions at First Bank of Nigeria (FBN) and, before that, Director of Africa at Mizuho Corporate Bank, a Japanese bank.

“Naturally, it was BACB’s strong, regional specialty that attracted me to this role,” commented Oberheim on his appointment.

“My time at two Lagos-headquartered banks has given me a deep knowledge and affection for West African markets, which I look forward to bringing to my client relationships at BACB. My new role will also provide opportunities to expand my focus to other countries in Sub- Saharan Africa, such as Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.”

“This is a watershed moment for trade in these markets. BACB will provide critical support to its clients through the economic and social challenges caused by the Coronavirus outbreak,” he added.

Oberheim’s appointment brings the Anglophone Desk up to full strength following the recent appointment of David Smithson, who joined BACB in April 2020.

The newly-bolstered team plans on dovetailing its collective expertise to reinforce BACB’s already strong market position across Anglophone Africa.

Susie Aliker, CEO of BACB, said: “As our second strategic hire in as many months, David is a well-known industry figure who adds tremendous strength to our Africa-focused team. Since deep, regional expertise and strong relationships are essential traits in our core markets, David further builds upon our vision of supporting our clients with exceptional talent and experienced heads – particularly through these uncertain times.”