Mrs. Risikatu Ladi Ahmed (FCIB) is a distinguished banking executive with nearly three decades of experience in the financial sector, known for her strategic leadership and exceptional ability to surpass organizational goals. She is currently serving as the Managing Director/CEO of ASO Savings and Loans Plc, becoming the first female to hold this position—a milestone recognized by Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ). In this capacity, she has strategically repositioned the bank to strengthen its market standing.

Risi’s impressive academic background includes an LLB from the University of Maiduguri (1989), a BL (Call to Bar, 1990), a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi (1998), and an LLM from the University of Jos (2006). She also completed the Senior Management Programme (SMP 56) at Lagos Business School (2015), Executive Education at Harvard Business School, Boston (2018), and the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania (2019). She holds a Certificate in International Director Programme (2023) and a Certificate in Corporate Governance (2023), both from INSEAD Business School.

Risi began her banking career during her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program at Continental Merchant Bank Plc. She subsequently worked at Savannah Bank Plc from 1993 to 1999 and then joined Diamond Bank Plc, where she held various managerial and leadership roles over 16 years, earning numerous commendations and awards. In 2015, she became an Executive Director at ASO Savings and Loans Plc, where she led diverse departments with distinction until her appointment as MD/CEO in 2021.

She is a highly regarded member of several prestigious professional organizations, including Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (FCIB); Fellow, Institute of Credit Administration of Nigeria (FICA); Fellow, Association of Enterprise Risk Management Professionals; Member, Institute of Directors (IoD) Nigeria; Member, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA); Member, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA); Member, Association of Professional Women Bankers; and Member, Women in Management, Business, and Public Service (WIMBIZ).

Risi has served as a member of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) since 2020 and is the Patron of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, USA Branch (appointed September 2024). She is renowned as a change enabler and a champion of transformational leadership. She inspires the next generation of bankers, empowering both women and men to excel in the industry while paving the way for more women to attain leadership positions in banking and finance.