By Foster Obi
Starzs Investments Company Limited is witnessing new turn of events as the Board has approved the appointment of Ms Iroghama Obuoforibo as Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the company effective 1st of February, 2021. The latest development follows the retirement of Mr Greg Ogbeifun’s as Chief Executive Officer having attained Thirty Five (35) years of meritorious service to the company and over Forty (40) years of impact in the maritime industry.
A statement signed by Dr Omogbai Omo–Eboh (SAN), Company Secretary said that Iroghama Obuoforibo, who has been the Chief Operating Officer of the company since 2014, is a high achieving senior executive with a strong commercial, financial and operational track record spanning over 13 years across different industries.
According to the statement, “In her position as Chief Operating Officer, Iroghama has drawn on her exceptional depth of expertise and entrepreneurial skills to lead strategy and policy, oversee business development, represent and promote the company’s interest amongst other roles. She has worked to maximize the company’s revenue performance and has recorded landslide achievements. Among several accomplishments, she helped the company qualify for a multimillion-dollar investment for the acquisition of a 90 Ton ASD Anchor Handling Tug Boat in 2015. Under her management, the company has grown its assets base from three (3) ships in 2014 to eleven (11) ships by July 2019.
“Iroghama holds a B.Sc. in Biology and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and an M.Sc. in Public Health and Health Promotion from Brunel University London. She is the winner of the first season of “The Next Titan Business Reality TV show”. Iroghama is an alumna of the Harvard Business School and a member of the Institute of Directors. She is also the current Chairman, Finance and Membership Committee of the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN). Iroghama’s entrepreneurial excellence has been recognized by several bodies as evidenced by the numerous awards she has won to mark her achievements.
“Starzs Investments Company Limited, a foremost indigenous maritime logistics company servicing the Nigerian oil and gas industry was established by Mr Greg Ogbeifun in 1986. Mr Greg Ogbeifun, a Shell trained Marine Engineer and a dogged advocate for the advancement of the maritime industry in Nigeria has contributed significantly to the national discourse for the transformation of the Maritime and Shipping sector. This cuts across a variety of topics such as human capacity development, establishment of National Shipping fleet, capacity development of ship owners and shipyard operators, accountability and transparency of industry regulators to name a few.
“On the industry stratum, Engr. Ogbeifun during this period pioneered the leadership of several organizations, including the First Nigerian Maritime Expo (NIMAREX), The Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), which he led as its first President. As a core Nigerian Ship Operator and Ship Repairer, Mr Ogbeifun has focused on global best practices, selflessly championing the development of indigenous shipping and ship repairs in Nigeria. His concerns and continuous advocacy for the re-establishment of a Nigerian fleet trading globally, led to his being appointed a member of the Ministerial Committee for the establishment of a National Fleet by the Minister of Transportation, Honorable Rotimi Amaechi.”
“ Mr Greg Ogbeifun’s penchant for development of human capacity in the maritime sector led to him dedicating his companies, Starzs Investments Company Limited and Starzs Marine and Engineering Limited, as a platform for cadetship training for students from the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron and other Maritime tertiary institutions. Little wonder that he was appointed into the Ministerial Committee to restructure and reposition Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron by the Honorable Minister for Transportation. The work of this committee contributed largely to the transformation of that institution into one of the best maritime academies in the world.
“As Engineer Greg Ogbeifun turns 70 in February 2021 and retires from executive office within the company, he will remain a Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Starzs Investments Company Limited. Even in retirement, he plans to continue impacting the Maritime and Shipping industry through numerous projects that he is privileged to spear head including the extensive expansion of the Starzs Marine and Engineering Limited (Starzs Ship Yard) in Onne, Rivers State as well as the Benin River Port project in Edo State,” the statement noted.
Pix: Mr Greg Ogbeifun
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