Christiana Kpodo

First National Bank GH

First National Bank Ghana received a universal banking license from the Bank of Ghana during the second half of 2015 with Richard Hudson as Chief Executive Officer. It opened its first branch in Accra that same year. The Group invested heavily in Ghana and brought some of its most sophisticated systems, technology, and products to the country. These investments have made the bank extremely competitive from the outset. The bank began operations with the intent to grow organically with an emphasis on digital applications. However, it remained mindful of the Ghanaian customers' desire for personal contact. In 2017, just three years after First National Bank established a presence in Ghana, it was adjudged the CIMG (Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana) emerging brand of the year. The award, according to CIMG, was in recognition of First National Bank's excellence in strategic marketing and brand exposure in Ghana. The bank had earned a growing reputation for its wide array of digital self-service offerings through its electronic channels. On 30th June 2020, First National Bank Ghana concluded the merger with the erstwhile GHL Bank with the name of the merged entity remaining as First National Bank Ghana. The newly formed and strengthened entity offers a portfolio of unique innovative financial solutions for retail, corporate and investment banking clients. The bank has also enhanced existing solutions for the housing and real estate markets. A key benefit of the merger is the expanded branch network across the key cities of Accra, Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi. The chairman of the nine-member board of directors is Emmanuel Idun. Warren Adams currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer and leads a team of 15 senior managers. The bank is a member of the FirstRand Group, which is the largest banking group in Africa by market capitalisation, and has been named the Strongest Banking Brand in the World in the Brand Finance Banking 500 2023 report.