Accra: Access Bank (Ghana) Plc has announced the appointment of Madam Pearl Nkrumah as Managing Director, effective October 1, 2025. Her appointment has received approval from the Board of Directors and Bank of Ghana, in line with regulatory requirements. Madam Nkrumah will be the Bank's first female Managing Director since it started operations in Ghana. She succeeds Olumide Olatunji, who transitions into a new executive role in Nigeria within the parent company, Access Bank PLC.
According to Ghana News Agency, until her appointment, Pearl served as Executive Director for Retail and Digital Banking at Access Bank (Ghana) Plc and Head of Retail Business for Access Africa subsidiaries (excluding Nigeria), where she was responsible for driving the bank's retail banking strategy across 15 markets on the continent. Madam Nkrumah also serves as Chairperson on the Council of Ghana Stock Exchange, representing listed companies. Prior to joining Access Bank as Executive Director in 2022, Madam Nkrumah began her banking career at Standard Chartered Bank, where she worked from 1998 to 2012. She subsequently joined Stanbic Bank in 2012, holding various leadership positions within commercial and business banking.
With more than 25 years of experience in the banking and financial services sector, she brings extensive expertise in retail and transactional banking, commercial banking, risk management, and digital transformation among others. Commenting on the appointment, Madam Ama Bawuah, Chair of the Board of Directors at Access Bank (Ghana) Plc, expressed pleasure in welcoming Pearl Nkrumah as the new Managing Director. She highlighted Nkrumah's diverse track record and leadership capabilities, expressing confidence in her ability to lead the bank into its next phase of growth.
In her remarks, the incoming Managing Director, Madam Nkrumah, stated her privilege to lead Access Bank Ghana at a pivotal time. She emphasized the collective effort with the Board, management, and employees to deliver superior value to customers, shareholders, and the community, aligning with the vision to be the world's most respected African bank and a true partner in national progress.
Madam Nkrumah's appointment reflects the Bank's commitment to enhancing its leadership bench and advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of its comprehensive succession planning efforts. She is expected to build on the successes of her predecessor, Olumide Olatunji, under whose leadership the Bank achieved significant milestones and growth.
Over the past few years, Access Bank has witnessed significant investor and customer confidence, evidenced by growth in its share price, balance sheet, customer deposits, and partnerships with multilateral agencies such as IFC, MasterCard, and Norfund. The Bank has also earned several global and industry awards for its performance and sustainability efforts. These accolades include Best Bank in Ghana (Euromoney 2023 and 2025, Global Finance, 2024 and 2025), Best Bank ESG (Euromoney 2024), Outstanding Sustainable Project Financing (Karlsruhe Awards 2025), Best Digital Bank (2023), and Best CSR Bank (Euromoney 2023, SSI in 2020, 2021, and 2023).