It was a night of farewells and welcomes as Transcorp Hotels Plc, the hospitality subsidiary of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc (Transcorp) and owners of the award-winning Transcorp Hilton Abuja and the iconic Transcorp Hotels, Calabar hosted a farewell/welcome dinner in honour of its immediate past Managing Director/CEO, Valentine Ozigbo who has been elevated to the role of the President/CEO of Transcorp Plc and Owen Omogiafo the current MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc.

President/CEO of Transcorp Plc, Valentine Ozigbo and Managing Director/CEO, Transcorp Hotels Plc, Owen Omogiafo, during the farewell dinner held in honour of immediate MD/CEO of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Valentine Ozigbo and welcome party for Owen Omogiafo, the new MD/CEO in Abuja.

During the Black-tie event held at the Congress Hall of the prestigious Transcorp Hilton Abuja, the outgoing and incoming General Managers of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, Etienne Gailliez and Kevin Brett were also celebrated.

The glamorous event featured different presentations from Classical music, award presentations, and vote of confidence speeches from notable personalities who were present to honour these icons including Professor Charles Soludo, former Governor and Chairman of the board of directors of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Jan Van Der Putten, Vice President Operations, Africa and Indian Ocean, Hilton Worldwide, Professor Osita and Dr. Ogugua Ogbu, Alhaji Dikwa, Chief Collins Chikeluba, Former Director, Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Anslem Tabansi, Sabi Bar-Noy, Chairman of Nairda, Iheanyi Nzekwe, Chairman, Teknokleen Group, dignitaries from the Diplomatic Communities and several CEOs and Captains of the industry.

In his appreciation speech, Valentine Ozigbo alluded his excellence and success as the MD/CEO of Transcorp hotels Plc to his background and great mentors whom he served under their tutelage, according the highest accolades to the Chairman of Transcorp Plc, Tony O. Elumelu for years of mentorship.

Speaking about his successor, Owen Omogiafo, Valentine said: “I couldn’t have found a better person to succeed me and I am confident that she will do better, I have seen her strong execution skills and I can attest that she will do even better than me.”

The Chairman of Transcorp Hotels Plc, Emmanuel Nnorom in his remarks appreciated Valentine for maintaining and deploying high-level of corporate governance and for driving positive transformation in Transcorp Hilton Abuja and Transcorp Hotels Calabar. He further charged him on the new responsibilities at Transcorp Plc and admonished him to carry on the good works.

Speaking about Owen, he stressed her affinity with the vision and mandate of the Transcorp Plc group and expressed his confidence in her ability to take the company to enviable heights.

Meanwhile, Owen Omogiafo, in her remarks appreciated the immediate past MD/CEO, Valentine Ozigbo and the Hilton management team for leaving behind a solid foundation for her to build on.

“I am well aware that I am stepping into big shoes, but they are solid shoes and they have a strong foundation, I am also aware of the company’s responsibilities to all its key stakeholders and I’ll be working with the team members to execute them excellently”, she said.

The event ended on a high-note as all present were serenaded with high-life tunes from one of Nigeria’s best musicians, Flavour.