Izwe Savings & Loans Plc is part of the Izwe Africa Group with robust operating entities in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia, and South Africa, all strategically supported by our headquarters in Mauritius.
Izwe has an embedded culture of compliance to enable sustainable value for all stakeholders. Our activities are guided by a governance framework of ethics, codes of conduct, policies and commitment to legal compliance.
Izwe’s Code of Conduct affirms our commitment to maintaining high ethical standards and employee responsibility to enhance our company reputation. The Code clarifies what we stand for, sets high expectations in achieving them, and illustrates our valuesacross the organisation.
Making a Difference
Public Sector Tertiary Education Scholarship
The Izwe Loans Public Sector Tertiary Education Scholarship Fund was launched in Ghana in 2012.
The fund provides an opportunity for selected brilliant but financially needy children, to undertake a full time undergraduate or equivalent tertiary education program of their choice at a public institution. Click here to read more.
Izwe Savings & Loans Ghana PLC shareholding comprises of African Micro-Finance Equities (AMFE), Abedi Pele Ayew and Raymond Bismarck.
Izwe Savings & Loans Board of Directors
Carole Ramella
Board Chairperson
Madam Ramella is a fundraising advisor and currently the Managing Director of GFA Consulting Limited.
She is a finance graduate from Reims Management School (France) and has an MBA from INSEAD.
She has vast global experience in finance, accounting and corporate governance and has served on a number of boards, key among them being GFA Consulting, Nexto Pharmaceuticals and the IFC EXCEED Program.
She is also a Foreign Trade Advisor for the French Government and sits on the Investment Committee of an international private equity fund.
Angela Gyasi
Non-Executive Director
Angela is a partner at Bentsi-Enchill, Letsa & Ankomah law firm, heading the Pensions, Employment & Immigration Practice Group.
Angela was called to the Ghana Bar in 2001 and has over 15 years’ experience in legal practice.
Currently she specialises in employment, pensions and immigration law, with broad experience in employment issues arising from corporate transactions, providing day-to-day advice on general employment issues and working on high-value transactions
Mabel Nana Nyarkoa Porbley
Non-Executive Director
Madam Porbley is a chartered insurer from CII – UK, who has several years of experience in the insurance and finance space and is currently the managing director of Saham Insurance Ghana, a member of the Sanlam Group in South Africa.
She has a master’s degree in business administration from GIMPA
She serves on a number of boards, key among them Ecowas Brown Card Insurance Scheme and the Ghana Insurance Association.
She has been in leadership positions for 18 years of her 22-year career.
Valentin Mensah
Non-Executive Independent Director
Valentin is a Chartered Accountant who has been in a senior executive role for over two decades. He is also a certified internal auditor and currently sits on the board of Graphic Communications Group Ltd and Obapack Company Ltd..
Valentin has a PHD in Business Management and holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University, United Kingdom. He is a graduate and fellow member of Chartered Association of Certified Accountants.
Richard Ahulu
Non-Executive Independent Director
Richard is a Chartered Accountant with over 20 years experience in Banking and Insurance. He currently serves on the boards of Negotiated Benefits Trust Company Limited and Hollard Insurance Ghana Limited.
He has a Master of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Ghana Business School, a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from KNUST and is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, UK. He is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.
Raymond Bismarck
Managing Director
Raymond Kwakye Bismarck is the Chief Executive Officer of Izwe Savings & Loans Plc. He has a wealth of experience spanning 21 years in the Ghanaian banking sector with expertise in institution building and business development.
Raymond has been in his capacity as CEO of Izwe for a decade. Through hard work and dedication, he championed the revolution of Izwe from a finance house to a credible Savings & Loans Company which is now a household name in the industry. His initiatives and strategies coupled with exceptional leadership skills saw Izwe evolve to one of the top 3 payroll Lenders in Ghana today. Izwe is gradually building a niche for itself in SME lending and already impacting lives under his leadership.
He holds a Masters Degree in Finance and Risk Management and currently pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration.
Izwe Savings & Loans Senior Management
Mark Smith Andoh
Chief Commercial Officer
Mark has worked for 16 years in the banking industry with a number of institutions, including NDK Financial Services, Standard Chartered Bank, ProCredit and Fidelity Bank.
His experience and passion centres on the provision of finance solutions to SMEs.
He joined the Izwe senior management team in October 2016 as the head of new business with a mandate to develop off-payroll business, with Car4cash as the first product.
Mark is a member of the Chartered institute of Bankers and a graduate of the University of Ghana Business School.
Stephen Avornyoh
Chief Risk Officer
Stephen is currently the Chief Risk Officer at Izwe Savings & Loans Ltd. He has over 20 years work experience in Accountancy, Audit, Finance, Risk Management and General Banking Operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Administration (Accounting) from the University of Ghana Business School and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance.
Stephen Joined Izwe from OmniBISC Bank where he was the Head of Credit Management.
He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIB), Ghana and a Certified Operational Risk Professional (CORP) of the International Academy of Business and Financial Management (IABFM), Dubai-UAE. He is also a Certified Business Consultant and Contract Management Specialist.
Jacob Nii Darkoo Amoo
Head, Sales & Distribution
Jacob has more than 20 years’ experience in the FMCG and microfinance industries.
He spent 11 years with Bayport Savings and Loans, holding several senior management positions, including national operations manager, head of direct sales business, and head of sales and distribution.
He serves as Izwe’s head of sales and distribution, with oversight responsibility for branch operations and sales.
Jacob holds an MBA in Marketing from the University of Cape Coast, a post-graduate Diploma in Marketing, and a bachelor’s degree (Sociology) from the University of Ghana.
Akyea Afari Gyasi
Head of Operations
Gyasi has been instrumental in building strong performance environments over the course of his career. He has vast experience in collections, human resources, branch operations and risk management.
He has held several senior management positions, including head of collections, head of operations and head of branch operations.
He joined Izwe’s senior management team in 2016 as head of collections, having previously worked in different capacities at Barclays (now ABSA).
Gyasi holds an MBA (Finance) from GIMPA and a degree in Accounting and Psychology from the University of Cape Coast.
Milestones
The Izwe call centre is opened.
Ghana receives funding support from the Regional Education Finance Fund for Africa, via BlueOrchard.
Ghana establishes a new GHS150 million Listed Note Programme.
Izwe expands its digital strategy, adding a suite of new digital innovations across the Group.