Change of guard in Julius Berger as Sunmonu replaces Imam as board chairman          

Julius Berger Nigeria plc on Tuesday announced a major change of guard in the company’s corporate structure, with Mutiu Sunmonu appointed as new chairman of the company’s board of directors.

Sunmonu’s appointment, which was made public at the company’s last board of directors’ meeting, followed the resignation of his predecessor, Nurudeen Imam, a retired air vice marshal, and is to take effect from April 1, 2016.

In his farewell remarks, Imam, the outgoing chairman, who served on the company’s board for more than 16 years, thanked members of the board for the opportunity given him to serve and wished Sunmonu, the incoming chairman, a fruitful, prosperous and successful tenure in office.

He also prayed for greater good fortunes for the company in the years ahead.

Imam, who said his decision to retire was personal so as to give the younger generation the opportunity to lead and take the company forward into the new millennium, also noted it was in the greater interest of the company.

He also pledged to remain a permanent member of the Julius Berger family, “whose advice and counsel the company can always access whenever it is required.”

Prior to his appointment as chairman, Imam served in various positions, including member of the armed forces ruling council and minister of mines, power and steel.

He has been a member of the board of directors of the company since 1999, and chairman of its board of directors since 2008.

On his part, Sunmonu graduated from the University of Lagos in 1977 with a first class honours degree in mathematics and computer science, and joined Royal Dutch Shell plc in 1978.

In 1990, he proceeded to Shell UK Expro Aberdeen and was later appointed manager of southern swamp area.

He then proceeded in 2001 as regional business adviser at the Shell headquarters at The Hague in Holland.

In 2003, Sunmonu was appointed general manager, production for SPDC, eastern operations and, in 2005, became a director of SPDC, as well as SPDC’s executive director of corporate affairs, while also serving as SPDC’s executive director of production as from 2006.

Sunmonu was managing director of SPDC Nigeria between 2008 and 2015, while doubling as country chairman of SPDC from 2010 until 2015.

After his retirement from Shell, he joined the board of Julius Berger Nigeria as director, beginning from January 1, 2015.

Commenting on his new appointment, Sunmonu “pledged to deploy his wealth of experience to work and build upon the worthy foundations and entrepreneurial legacy of his predecessors, while taking Julius Berger Nigeria plc in the right direction during his tenure in office.”