The banking sector in Ghana has gone through a challenging reform process over the last few years.
A number of banks have had their licences revoked, others have merged to meet the new minimum requirement, and some also have winded up and signed assumption agreement with other banks. Some banks have however pulled through the challenging times and are still doing brisk business in the country.
Fidelity Bank is one such bank that has pulled through. It could not have done so without its leadership. Below a profile of Mr. Julian Kingsley Opuni who is currently the Managing Director of Fidelity Bank Ghana.
It could be said that the successful institutions have great Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) or Managing Directors (MD) who are spearheading innovations and making their banks more customer friendly among others.
The Appointment
Julian Kingsley Opuni was appointed as the new Managing Director of the Bank effective December 1, 2018.
He first joined the bank as the Head of Commercial Banking at the inception of the unit. After incubating and building the new business line, he led the growth and consolidation of the wider Commercial & SME Banking segments and ultimately the entire Retail Banking Directorate.
Julian has over 25 years of experience in the financial services sector both locally and internationally. He has extensive experience in business development, credit analysis, and sales management and has also participated in various youth entrepreneurship & business mentoring projects.
He comes to lead at a time when the industry , especially Ghanaian-owned banks, needs to earn a high level of public confidence and stability. The banking industry is also evolving rapidly into the digital space and needs dynamic leadership. His past experience and achievements places him in a pole position for the bank to take lead.
Before Fidelity Bank
Prior to joining Fidelity Bank, Julian had a successful career with Lloyds Bank in the United Kingdom where he worked for over 18 years. He joined Lloyds on their Expedited Management Training Program, holding various roles in Operations and Retail Banking which included Branch Management. Additionally, he held several senior positions in both Business & Corporate Banking, finally leaving as a Senior Manager with responsibility for various business centres in the west of London.
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He is an Associate of the Institute of Financial Services (Aifs) and holds a B.Sc. in Banking & Financial Services from the University of Manchester, Institute of Science & Technology. Julian is also an accredited specialist in Manufacturing, Legal and Property Lending.
