A new leadership has taken over the management of Starzs Investments Company Limited. To this end, Ms. Iroghama Obuoforibo has taken over as its new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
This was sequel to the retirement of Engr. Greg Ogbeifun who was hitherto the Managing Director and CEO of the company. The renowned marine engineer will clock 70 years next month.
A statement signed by its Secretary, Dr Omogbai Omo–Eboh, SAN and made available to Maritime Bits quoted its Board of Directors of Starzs Investments Company Limited saying that it has approved the appointment of Obuoforibo with effect from 1st February, 2021.
This is coming on the heel of Ogbeifun’s retirement as CEO having attained 35 years of meritorious service to the company and over 40 years of impact in the maritime industry.
According to the statement, Obuoforibo who has been the Chief Operating Officer (COO) 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.
Omo-Eboh stated that in her position as COO, 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.
He revealed that 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”, he added.
Continuing, Omo-Eboh said: “Under her management, the company has grown its assets base from 3 ships in 2014 to 11 ships by July 2019. She holds a B.Sc in Biology and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a 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”. She 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 Ogbeifun in 1986. 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, 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 pioneer President. As a core Nigerian ship operator and ship repairer, 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, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi.
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, Akwa Ibom State and other maritime tertiary institutions.
Little wonder that he was appointed into the Ministerial Committee to restructure and reposition MAN, Oron by the Minister for Transportation. The work of this committee contributed largely to the transformation of the school into one of the best maritime academies in the world.
As he turns 70 in February 2021 and retires from executive office, he will remain a Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Starzs Investments Company Limited.
According to the Company Secretary, 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.
