Ecobank marks a pivotal moment in its leadership strategy in West Africa with the appointment of two exceptional women to lead its subsidiaries in Togo and Liberia. Estelle Fafa Akue Komlan, with over 15 years of experience in the banking sector, takes the helm of Ecobank Togo, while Salamata Diallo, after an impressive career across several West African countries, becomes the new Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia. The pan-African bank announced these appointments on Monday, March 24, with their official start date set for April 7. These two experienced leaders, whose exemplary careers are marked by outstanding achievements in the banking sector, will spearhead the bank’s expansion and transformation in West Africa.
These new appointments, Ecobank emphasized, are not only a strong signal of the bank’s commitment to promoting women into senior leadership positions, but also a pivotal step in the execution of its Growth, Transformation & Returns (GTR) strategy.
Estelle Komlan, an experienced leader in the banking sector
With 15 years of expertise in corporate banking, treasury, and financial management, Estelle Komlan stands as a key figure in the sector. Her outstanding career, marked by strategic accomplishments, showcases her mastery of financial challenges and her commitment to positive transformation in the banking landscape.
From HEC Montreal to Wharton Executive Education, including HEC Paris and the London Business School, Estelle Komlan has built an exceptional academic path, blending finance, management, and leadership. Holding a degree in accounting and finance from HEC Montreal, with a specialization in managerial accounting (CPA-CMA), she further honed her expertise in Trade Finance at London Business School and project management at HEC Paris. Driven by unwavering ambition, she pursued advanced training, including the Female Leadership Masterclass by ODDO BHF and the The Next CEO program at H&C Education.
In 2024, she capped her training with the Advanced Management Partners Program from Wharton, reaffirming her commitment to leadership excellence and bold transformation in the banking sector.
A Career defined by excellence
Estelle Komlan has developed her expertise by holding high-responsibility positions at major banking institutions, demonstrating her ability to lead large-scale strategic projects. Before joining Ecobank, she spent nearly 10 years at Orabank Group, where she successively served as Commercial Director for Corporates, Head of Treasury, and Head of the Trading Room. In these key roles, she supervised complex financial operations, from market risk management to trading, as well as correspondent banking across several currency zones (XOF, XAF, GNF, and MRO).
Major achievements and strong leadership
Among her most notable achievements at Orabank, Estelle Komlan orchestrated the transformation of the treasury department into a high-performing profit center, combining exceptional performance with risk management. Her expertise earned her the prestigious “Best Currency Provider” award from the Global Finance Awards. Under her leadership, revenues from foreign exchange and fixed-income activities skyrocketed, with an increase of 1050% since 2014.
Her leadership also allowed the treasury department to generate 40% of the bank’s overall profits, demonstrating the strategic impact of her decisions. She oversaw a significant expansion of the correspondent banking network, with a 50% increase, while also strengthening trade lines by 150%.
Visionary, she played a central role in establishing a high-performing trading room in West Africa, in partnership with Oragroup. This ambitious initiative fostered the dynamic trading of G10 currencies and fixed-income securities, further solidifying the bank’s position in the global financial market. Thanks to her strategic vision and expertise in optimizing treasury operations, she contributed to enhancing the bank’s profitability and driving its international expansion.
Before joining Orabank, Estelle Komlan served as Head of Treasury at Diamond Bank Plc, where she managed treasury investments and relations with correspondent banks in the UEMOA zone. Her expertise in structuring trade finance and optimizing financial resources was a key strategic asset for the bank.
International career
Estelle Komlan began her career at WeighPack Systems Inc. in Canada, where she worked as a Senior Accountant for three years. She oversaw the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for five companies under her responsibility: WeighPack (Montreal), CombiScale (Miami), WeighPack West (Vegas), Paxiom Canada (Montreal), Advance Technology (China), and Paxiom US (Miami). She analyzed product profitability, gross and net margins, explaining variances and major cost centers, while suggesting improvements to production and sales managers.
She also produced management reports on product, service, and personnel performance to optimize operations. In addition, Estelle analyzed general ledger accounts and made journal entries to adjust the books according to Canadian accounting standards.
Estelle handled bank reconciliations for six companies, alerted the controller about necessary fund transfers, and performed weekly cash analyses to guide operations related to foreign currency sales/purchases, raw materials purchases, inter-company cash advances, suppliers’ credit policies, and customer payments.
She supervised inter-branch transactions to ensure compliance with internal transfer policies and the payment of intercompany debt advances, while preparing budgets and tracking unfavorable material variances.
Estelle also researched and followed financing programs for specific projects, such as trade shows, new product launches, and research and development. She ensured compliance with Canadian accounting standards, procedures, and internal controls while acting as the key person during the annual audits of the six companies, answering questions and explaining accounting and non-accounting decisions affecting the financial statements.
With exceptional capabilities in managing organizational resources and controlling financial risks, Estelle Komlan has ensured sustainable performance throughout her career. She embodies excellence, innovation, and determination—qualities that make her the ideal leader to chart a new course in Ecobank Togo’s history.
Salamata Diallo: An Exceptional Leader in the African Banking Sector
Salamata Diallo, the newly appointed Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia, stands out for her extensive and diverse experience across retail banking, corporate banking, risk management, corporate finance, and project management. As the Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia, her mission is to strengthen the bank’s position in the country by leveraging her expertise in financial management, corporate strategy, and risk management.
A former Fulbright scholar, Salamata Diallo is fluent in both French and English, allowing her to navigate seamlessly within multicultural and multilingual environments. Her expertise is particularly notable for her in-depth knowledge of the sub-Saharan African banking market, particularly in West Africa, where she has built a solid reputation as a seasoned professional.
With over 15 years of experience in the banking sector, particularly within the Ecobank group, she embodies strategic leadership and profound expertise, making her one of the most respected figures in West African finance.
An Impressive Career Across West Africa
Before her appointment as Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia, Salamata Diallo held senior roles within Ecobank in various West African countries, notably Guinea and Gambia.
As the Corporate Banking Head at Ecobank Guinea, she oversaw the development of the bank in a complex and dynamic environment. In this position, she demonstrated a strong ability to drive effective business strategies, optimize client portfolios, and boost growth in the Guinean banking sector. She contributed significantly to strengthening Ecobank’s position in Guinea by enhancing profitability while maintaining a high-quality customer experience.
Leadership Marked by Commitment and Innovation
Salamata Diallo also served as Country Head for Corporate and Investment Banking at Ecobank Gambia. Her key role in the region involved structuring financial strategies tailored to local market needs while integrating innovative solutions to support both local and international businesses. Under her leadership, Gambia saw a significant improvement in its banking activity, covering both large corporations and SMEs.
During her tenure as Acting Managing Director at Ecobank Gambia, she was able to maintain stability and drive transformational leadership, overseeing a diverse team and ensuring strong performance despite regional economic challenges.
Risk Management Expertise at the International Level
Her career has also been shaped by a key role in risk management, where she served as Deputy Head of Risk Management and Senior Market Risk Analyst at Ecobank Transnational Incorporated. In this role, she managed complex credit and market risk portfolios, overseeing several countries and regions, including Guinea, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. Her sharp skills in risk management allowed her to minimize losses and maximize profitability through prudent financial strategies and informed decision-making.
A People-Centric and Performance-Oriented Approach
Salamata Diallo is also known for her people-oriented approach to management. As Branch Manager at Ecobank Guinea, she led a team of 35 people, emphasizing continuous training, coaching, and performance evaluation. She ensured that her team remained motivated and well-trained, which allowed the bank to maintain high customer service standards and adhere strictly to operational and regulatory controls.
An Outstanding Academic Background
Salamata Diallo boasts an exceptional academic background, marked by studies at renowned institutions that have prepared her to excel in the banking sector.
She earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on finance from the University of Akron between 2014 and 2016. Throughout her studies, she maintained an impressive GPA of 3.829. She was also actively involved in several prestigious associations, including the Fulbright Association, the Cross Cultural Association, the Golden Key International Honour Society, Beta Gamma Sigma, and the Financial Management Association. Salamata graduated with her MBA in May 2016, a testament to her commitment and academic excellence.
In 2014, she also completed a Pre-Academic Certificate in English at the Rochester Institute of Technology, enhancing her language skills before pursuing further higher education.
Prior to that, in 2013, Salamata Diallo completed a Branch Manager Certificate in Retail Banking at the International Academy of Retail Banking, a program provided by Ecobank in partnership with the Lafferty Group. This certification enhanced her skills in retail banking, and she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Branch Managers in the Ecobank Group.
She also earned a Certificate in English as a Second Language at the University of Delaware between 2011 and 2012, where she was named Valedictorian, a prestigious title reflecting her exceptional academic abilities.
Finally, Salamata Diallo obtained a Master’s Degree at the Institut Technique de Banque in 2008, completing specialized training in the banking sector. This foundation laid the groundwork for her solid expertise in banking and finance.
With her appointment as the Managing Director of Ecobank Liberia, Salamata Diallo embodies the future of banking in West Africa. With her international experience and proven leadership, she is ready to tackle the banking challenges in Liberia while further consolidating Ecobank’s impact in the region.
