LR appoints new Business Director and Senior Representative for Africa

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has announced the appointment of Ngozi Gwam as its new Business Director and Senior Representative for Africa. This appointment highlights LR’s continued focus on fostering deep, strategic partnerships across the continent and reinforcing its role as a trusted partner to Africa’s maritime and energy industries.

In this role, Gwam will represent LR at the highest levels across Africa, engaging with clients to deliver solutions that meet their complex and evolving needs. He will also lead LR’s strategic growth across the region, building on his experience as Business Development Manager (BDM) for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Since taking on the BDM role in 2018, Gwam has strengthened relationships with key clients in Nigeria, Namibia, and South Africa, and established LR’s current commercial presence in Kenya and Angola, which expanded LR’s operations in East and West Africa. He also led the opening of LR’s office in Mozambique, further expanding LR’s geographical presence in Southern Africa. His efforts have contributed to revenue growth, increased client engagement, and the diversification of LR’s services in the region.

In addition to his commercial work, Gwam leads LR’s Chevening Scholarship programme across Africa – an initiative he started in 2020. The programme supports individuals across Sub-Saharan Africa to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK, contributing to the long-term development of Africa’s maritime and energy talent pipeline. He also supports the Country Leads for the Ocean Centres in Africa, a collaboration between Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the UN Global Compact.

Gwam will maintain and further develop these initiatives as he assumes the position of Business Director for Africa. He said: “It is an honour to undertake this new responsibility, which allows me to strategically advance our accomplishments in Sub-Saharan Africa. 

“Looking ahead, my focus will be to drive scale and deliver significant impact within the continent’s Blue economy, while ensuring that LR remains recognised as a reliable and trusted partner to all stakeholders.”

Andrew McKeran, Chief Commercial Officer of Lloyd’s Register, said: “We are delighted to welcome Gwam to this important leadership role for Africa. His appointment will enhance our ability to engage with clients, particularly at the executive level, and promote growth across the continent. We’re confident that under his leadership, LR will strengthen its business presence and impact in the region.”

Gwam has been with LR since December 2013, when he joined the Aberdeen office as a Project Manager. He went on to serve as Business Manager for Nigeria, and later as Innovation Programme Manager and Project Manager for North Europe, where he worked on ballast water treatment systems.

Prior to joining LR, Gwam held technical and project roles with Schlumberger (SLB) and Speedcast (formerly Harris CapRock), managing offshore communications and network systems. He holds an MBA from IE Business School, a Master’s in Wireless Networks (Distinction) from Queen Mary University of London, and a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics (Electronics) from the University of Lagos.