Our pEOPLE
Our long years of experience at Gricunas gives us the poise to serve you.
Meet Our Team
GricunasHR has a strong leadership team with experience in banking, consulting, fast moving consumer goods, engineering, law, HR, recruitment etc
Dr. Nick Odife
Founder/CEO
Dr. Odife is skilled in Banking, Numerical Analysis, Corporate Turnarounds, Competency Management and Financial Engineering.
Dr. Odife holds a Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Bradley University, Peoria Illinois USA, a master’s Degree in Financial Management from the University of Benin Benin City, Edo State Nigeria winning the Chief Isaac Akimokun Prize for the Best Graduating student in 1987 and a first Degree in Applied Mathematics (Industrial Mathematics) from the same University
He is also a Certified Recruitment Analyst CRA, a Certified Performance and Competence Professional CPCP and until recently a board member of the World Human Resource Board, WHRB. Over the years, Dr. Odife has displayed competency, character and capacity in handling very difficult assignments. He is currently the Chairman, Senate in Africa, Bradley University, USA International Institutions Programme.
His leadership and practice areas are
Business Transformation
Financial Institutions
Marketing and Sales
Internally Generated Revenue Management
Banking and Product Development
Transportation and Logistics
Operations
Business and People Strategy
Sub-National Debt Management
Learning Program
His working experience includes cash and branch management operations with (Nigeria International Bank, NIB) now Citibank Nigeria and Consumer Banking Operations with Zenith Bank Plc.
At NIB/Citibank Nigeria, he was Cash Officer, Roving Cash Officer, Clearing House Head, Test-Word Custodian, Funds Transfer Head, Branch Coordinator, Training Manager and Service Management Group Head, SMGH Operations. At Zenith Bank Plc, he was the turnaround manager for Zenith Bank Broad Street Lagos, Zenith Bank Ikeja Lagos, Zenith Bank Apapa Lagos and Group Head Consumer Banking at Zenith Bank Head Office, Victoria Island Lagos.
On Leaving the banking industry, he set up Boardroom Partners & Services Limited as a financial engineering company and Effex Bureau De Change Limited as a Central Bank of Nigeria CBN licensed weekly foreign exchange trading firm. He was also involved with indigenous courier and logistics origination with City Messengers Nigeria Limited Lagos before setting up Gricunas Consulting as a Human Capital Management HCM Group, Lagos.
He got his human resource training experience from Middle Earth Consultants, Hyderabad India, recruitment analysis and talent development experience from Carlton Advanced Management Institute CAMI USA, psychometric and personality profiling from APRC United Kingdom, company direction and boardroom knowledge from Lagos Business School LBS Lagos, management development and business presentation skills from the Centre for Management Development CMD, CMD Road, Ikosi Ketu Lagos, internally generated revenue experience from Lagos and Ogun States Government Boards of Internal Revenue Generation Services, consulting and auditing experience from Akintola Williams Deloitte & Co Lagos and sub-national debt management knowledge from the Debt Management Office DMO, the Presidency Abuja. Dr. Odife is a Federal Government of Nigeria certified Train-The-Trainer Consultant for the establishment of Debt Management Departments (DMDs) for states and local governments in Nigeria.
Nick is a member of the Chartered Institute of Directors, CID Nigeria, member of National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria NIMN and fellow of the Association of Professional Recruitment Consultants, APRC UK and Nigeria.
Since 1999, Nick has been involved with Strategic Human Resource Management, handling such issues as performance and competency management systems, developing leaders, linking employee training to organizational goals. He has also been involved with recruiting corporate leaders, talent planning and workforce management for large corporates.
In 2008, and in partnership with like minds, he founded the Institute of Professional Recruitment Consultants, IPRC Nigeria, a professional institute limited by guarantee, certified by the Corporate Affairs Commission CAC and the Federal Ministry of Education FME Abuja to train and certify recruiters and human resource managers as Certified Recruitment Professionals CRP. Within the last 16 years, he has trained and certified over 2,000 CRPs in Nigeria and Africa.
Dr. Odife is a balanced scorecard BSC professional and well grounded on issues relating to leadership development, corporate leader identification, talent management and succession planning. He is at home with corporate governance, organizational development and board matters.
Olawale Ajani
Non-Exec. Director, HR
Olawale Ajani is a Non-Executive Director of GricunasHR. He is a Polymath and a duly Certified and Licensed Human Resource Professional, Certified Management Consultant, Certified Recruitment Professional CRP, Certified Trainer, Researcher, Seasoned Business Strategist, Career Coach, Mentor and Facilitator with over 20 Years progressive experience and Cross- functional Skill set and expertise. He is a Subject Matter Expert with CIPM, Nigeria.
He is an Alumnus of University of Ibadan, Oyo State where he bagged a Bachelor’s degree in Archaeology / Anthropology, graduated as Best Arts Option Student with (Second Class Upper Division)and subsequently a Masters Degree in Sociology with specialization in Demography and Bias in Human Resource Management,
Olawale is an alumnus of FATE Foundation, Lagos where he was AEP 60 Class Governor of Budding Entrepreneurs, He also facilitates and mentors at same FATE Foundation. amongst others , he also mentors for Tony Elumelu Foundation, LSETF – Lagos State Employment Trust Fund, Africa Effectiveness, LEAP Africa etc. He is a Fellow of Institute of Management Consultants -IMC, also Fellow Association of Professional Recruitment Consultants – APRC UK, also Fellow Institute of Professional Recruitment Consultants Nigeria, He is a member of several Professional Institutes which includes, but not limited to Member NIM, CIPM, IMC, NITAD, AOPN, IAOP, AAHRL, ACGPN etc
He has consulted widely and trained in Nigeria and overseas; for diverse Industry Verticals and Sector of the Economy amongst whom are; Integrated Energy, Maritime, Oil and Gas, Aviation, Renewables, Reseach,Hospitality, FMCG,.Ecommerce, Mining, Construction Manufacturing, Academia, Power, Info Tech, QSR, Public Service, NGOs, Accelerators, Incubators and Start ups.
Helen O. Melifonwu
Executive Directoer, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & LEADERSHIP
Helen Oreffo Melifonwu is a 1983 First Class Honours graduate from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and also has two Masters Degrees in Language and Communication Art from University of Ibadan (1986) and International Law and Diplomacy from University of Lagos in (1987) respectively with academic distinctions.
Helen is a professional banker with cumulative experience spanning over 25 years. She worked with such banks as ICON Limited (Merchant Bankers) Lagos and was also a pioneer management staff of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc (GTB) Victoria Island, Lagos. She was a Senior Manager of the change management team member recruited to strategically transform Crystal Bank of Africa and later promoted to Assistant General Manager in 1992.
Helen further served as Group Head, Abuja Business District of Reliance Bank in 2004 and has extensive knowledge of Investment Banking, Foreign Currency Trading, Credit Analysis, Financial Appraisal, Report Writing, Project Co-ordinating and Monitoring as well as excellent marketing and negotiating skills.
Helen Has a Habit of improving efficiency of operations and a strong ability to quickly grasp complex concepts, analyzing and interpreting such ideas into a logical strategy.
Helen has intensive experience in identifying and concluding deals with profitable returns.
She has also demonstrated strong ability to motivate staff to maximum productivity and control costs through the most effective use of manpower and available resources.
Helen furthermore has impeccable skills and versed in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives.
Currently she is a financial consultant serving several reputable corporate and individual investors in the area of Telecom, Power, Railways, Steel, Real Estate and other Nigerian Public Sector Concessioning Projects.
In summary, Helen is focused, success driven, a strategic and analytical thinker, possesses good leadership qualities, interpersonal and people skills, highly personable and also possesses high level of integrity, self regulation, with excellent communication skills both verbal and in writing.
OBJECTIVES
To foster Relationships built on Character, Competence and Professionalism.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Technical and Conceptual Competences in improving efficiency of operations
Strategic and Tactical Marketing
Strong ability to grasp complex concepts
Business & Administrative Infrastructure
Cash Flow Optimization
Business Partnerships, Employee Relations and Client Management
Enterprise Risk Management
Team Mentoring, Building , Large Staff Management & Leadership
Proficiency in managing relationships and building networks
Barr. (Mrs.) Ndidi Odife
Dir., Corporate/Legal