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Executive Members

kwame
Kwame Owusu-Boateng Chief Executive Officer
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Kwame Owusu-Boateng's Profile Detail

Kwame has twenty-two (22) years professional experience which covers International Trade Finance, Banking Operations, Micro Finance, Marketing, and Executive Management. He joined Opportunity International Savings and Loans in 2006 from a private International Trade Finance firm.

Kwame was the first Branch Operations Officer recruited by Opportunity International in Ghana.  Between 2009 to 2012 he managed several Management positions until his appointment as acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in 2012. He was confirmed by the Board as the first local CEO of Opportunity International Savings and Loans in August 2013. His key strengths are in Strategic Sales Management, Operations Management, Marketing, Communication, and Effective Leadership. He has the skill of building successful teams and energizing them to achieve great results.

He is a graduate from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana with a BSC degree. Additionally, he has an Executive MBA from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Kwame has attended various executive programs, some of which includes The Boulder Microfinance Training Program in Turin, and a certificate program in Strategic Management in Micro Finance from Harvard Business School, Boston. He has also attended the African Board Fellowship program organized by Accion International in Cape Town, South Africa and Corporate Governance for Business Executives training program organized by Quest on the Frontier in Dubai.  He has additionally attended a Strategic Management course for Micro Finance Practitioners organized by the Micro Finance Association in Washington DC as well as a program from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management on, “leading with impact”.

takyi
Dr. Francis Takyi Chief Risk Officer
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Dr. Francis Takyi's Profile Detail

Dr. Francis Takyi has over twenty years’ experience in banking. He joined Opportunity International as a Branch Manager in 2008 and worked through the ranks at various sections of the institution at managerial levels, including Branch Management, Operations, Finance, and Risk Management.

In 2013 he was appointed by the Opportunity International Network, USA, as it Regional Risk Director for Africa, where he was instrumental in building the risk management capacity within Opportunity International African risk teams through training, business risk reviews and regular interactions with the local risk teams, until 2016 when he was again seconded to Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd, Ghana. He also supported Opportunity Bank Malawi in 2015 as its Chief Risk Officer whilst still working as the Regional Risk Director.

Prior to joining Opportunity, Francis worked with ProCredit Savings and Loans Co. Ltd. as the Head of Finance department. He was a pioneering member of ProCredit Ghana (now part of Fidelity Bank, Ghana) where he was a member of the implementation team that set up ProCredit Ghana in 2002. He worked as a Senior Loan Officer and Branch Manager with ProCredit. Francis later worked with HFC Bank, Ghana, where he was in charge of operations and credit at one of its flagship branches, Accra Central Branch.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Economics from the University of Ghana, Legon, an MBA in Finance from the Methodist University College, Ghana, as well as a Master of Applied Business Research (MABR), and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degrees, both from the Swiss Business School (Switzerland). He is a final professional level student of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Ghana, and a part qualified of ACCA. Francis is a professional member of ISACA, an affiliate member of Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP), a member of Institute of Risk Management (IRM), and has an Executive certificate in Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance from Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

He has an extensive training, both local and abroad, on microfinance and banking. As the Chief Risk Officer and Director of Cyber and Information Security, he has responsibility for managing the overall risk profile of Opportunity International Savings and Loans, Ghana..

ernest
Ernest Yerekuu Chief Operating Officer
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Ernest Yerekuu's Profile Detail

Ernest has over seventeen (17) years of experience in the financial services sector, about six (6) of which have focused on managing funds which are targeted at MSME banks in Africa.

Ernest started his professional career from Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd. in 2004 where he completed his National Service. He was immediately employed as a Treasury Officer and rose to Treasury Supervisor by 2008, with principal responsibility for the preparation and timely submission of Prudential Returns to the Bank of Ghana, Opportunity International Partners and Investors.

He was subsequently appointed the Financial and Market Risk Analyst, a role he diligently executed from 2008 to 2009 before his promotion to the position of Banking Operations and Compliance Manager. As the Banking Operations and Compliance Manager, Ernest supported the Chief Operations Officer in ensuring effective and efficient operations of all Branches and the Data Unit. This involved the drafting and reviewing various processes and procedures, resourcing branches and other supporting units to ensure uninterrupted banking services, establishment of operational targets and ensuring the implementation of performance management systems among others.

Having excelled in the role of Banking Operations and Compliance, Ernest was promoted to the position of Treasurer of Opportunity International in August 2010 where he led and managed the Treasury team to achieve value for the institution and meet reasonable expectations for each individual in the department. 

In December 2012, Ernest was appointed the General Manager of Cyrano Management Ghana, a subsidiary of Cyrano Management S.A; a Fund Management company specialised in structuring financing for MSME focused banks globally, until December 2018. At Cyrano, Ernest had responsibility for the management and development of portfolio pipelines in Africa as well as coordinating and implementing board decisions and the decisions of the Investment Committees of the various funds under management.

Ernest was appointed as the Head of Treasury of Opportunity International for the second time in May 2019 where he oversaw the restructuring of the department and led the growth of incomes from trading and investment activities.

Ernest has participated in various consultancy services both locally and internationally in areas of Agricultural Value Chain structuring, Restructuring of Microfinance Institutions, Product Development, Digitization and Automation of process flows.

Ernest therefore comes on board as the Chief Operations Officer of Opportunity International with vast practical international experiences in banking and finance, project management and investment, with a clear mission to optimize the operating capabilities of Opportunity International to maximize customer satisfaction within a controlled environment.

Ernest Yerekuu holds a BSc. in Banking and Finance and an MSc. in Development Finance from the University of Ghana. He has participated in various trainings and conferences in leadership, project management, investment for social impact among others.

kofi
Kofi Obeng-Berkyaw Chief, Special Project
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Kofi Obeng-Berkyaw's Profile Detail

Kofi has 30 years working experience in Commercial Banking, Micro-finance and over 10 years experience in Executive Management position.

He started as a Clerk and rose through the ranks to the position of a Branch Operations Manager in the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) where he worked for 14 years. He was instrumental in the starting of two branches, the Weija branch and the Prestigious branch of ADB House.

Kofi joined Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd in 2007 as Accra Branch Manager. In 2009 he was promoted to the position of Head of Banking Operations and under his guidance and influence, the Reconciliation Unit was set up after a creditable performance. He is a team player and together with his team has worked hard to improve the control environment of the institution to positioned it for growth.

Kofi is now the Chief Officer in charge of Special Projects, He is responsible for Operational Innovations with special attention to core banking solutions to improve and enhance productivity, efficiency and good customer experience. He is also responsible for effective strategic plan implementation and monitoring while collaborating with the Electronic Banking Department in the implementation of digital channels for customers’ use.

Under his leadership, the institution has seen growth particularly in the areas of technological innovations, physical branches and outlets. Key among his achievements in his previous role was the setting up of the centralized data unit, automation of many manual processes, introducing new policies and procedures to ensure an efficient and well controlled environment in the institution.

Kofi is a product of the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts Hons degree and also holds a certificate from the Boulder Institute of Micro Finance. He also has a Master’s degree in Marketing from the Methodist University College of Ghana.

eben
Ebenezer Cofie-Baidoo Chief Human Resources Officer
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Ebenezer Cofie-Baidoo's Profile Detail

Ebenezer joined Opportunity International Savings and Loans in January 2008 as an HR Operations Officer with responsibility for Compensations and Benefits.

He was later that year promoted to the position of HR Business Partner (Banking Operations first and then Northern Sector of the business & Head office) supporting 286 staff including 42 managers in 16 branches, and 107 staff at the Head Office.

In 2013, Ebenezer was appointed Head of Human Resources where he has been providing overall leadership and direction to the Human Resources Management functions and activities. After Six (6) years in that role, Ebenezer was promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer in January 2020 with over ten (10) years of experience in Human Resources Management.

Prior to joining OISL, Ebenezer worked as a Human Resources Consultant at Shawbell Consulting, an Accra based Management Consulting firm, where he provided human resource advisory services to a number of organizations, including OISL.

He graduated from the University of Ghana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology in 2000, and an MPhil in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from the same university in 2004. Additionally, he is a Certified Human Resource Manager and has also attended a number of Executive programs key among which includes Dave Ulrich Human Resources Transformation and Leadership Masterclass, Legal Aspects of Human Resources Management, Business Strategy, Leadership and Effective Performance among others.

Ebenezer’s motivation to work for OISL stems from the joy in hearing the success stories of the numerous clients whose lives have been impacted by the services rendered to them by very dedicated staff on a daily basis. This drives him to do more to ensure more lives are touched.

francis
Francis Owusu Ansah Chief Business Officer
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Francis Owusu Ansah's Profile Detail

Francis’ management career spans over 15 years’ experience in finance with specific interest in areas of administration, sales, marketing, custo

He started his career as a Credit Officer with Sinapi Aba Trust and has subsequently worked in various roles over the past years in various institutions across the country. Some of the roles included Branch Manager, Head of Operations and Unit Head – Micro Finance Department

Francis has a wealth of experience in the Micro Finance and Retail Banking Industries. He has worked with institutions such as Sinapi Aba Savings and Loans, Express Savings and Loans, Capital Bank and UT Bank. His most recent institution was Akumadan Rural Bank where he was the General Manager.

Francis holds Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology and an Executive Masters in Business Administration, Finance Option. His key strengths are in Credit, Micro-Finance, Operations and People Management.

rosemary
Rosemary Seneadza Head of Legal
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Rosemary Seneadza's Profile Detail

Rosemary Seneadza is a legal practitioner with over a decade’s experience in litigation, banking and corporate law.

After graduating with a BSc. degree in the sciences from the University of Ghana, she pursued a degree in Law (LLB) from the Ghana School of law, with sub-specialties in banking and environmental law after which she was called to the Bar.

To advance her knowledge in the fast-evolving legal world and to build capacity to add value, she pursued further education and obtained a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, USA with specialization in Business law.

Prior to joining Opportunity International, she went into private practice in a leading law firm, where she gained in-depth knowledge in various areas including Commercial, Banking and Corporate Law. She also engaged in research and court room litigation.

Rosemary joined Opportunity in 2012 as an Associate. She rose to the position of Head of Legal and Company Secretary in 2016. In January 2021 she was appointed Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary, a position she currently occupies.

She is passionate about God, family and community and believes that we must all give back out of the abundance that we have been blessed with through service.

joshua
Joshua Ninson Anti-Money Laundering Reporting Officer
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Joshua Ninson's Profile Detail

Joshua Ninson is a Financial Crime Specialist and a member of several professional bodies from compliance to financial Economist. He has significant expertise in Financial crime, risk management, due diligence, Audit and Banking Operation.

Currently, He is the President of the Network of Compliance Officers and AML Officers of Savings and Loans Companies in Ghana and has been invited by the Bank OF Ghana and the Ghana Financial Intelligence Center for National assignments including Ghana 2nd AML/CFT Mutual Evaluation, Cost of Compliance, AML Risk Assessment and a Member of Ghana delegation to GIABA workshops on different occasions.

He started his career with Opportunity International and has occupied various leadership roles prior to his appointment as the Anti-Money Laundering Reporting Officer in 2013. His Key strengths are in Compliance, Risk management, Banking Operation and People Management.

Joshua holds a Master of Science in Business Consulting and Enterprise Risk Management and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from University of Cape Coast.  He is also a Certified Financial Crime Specialist, Chartered Financial Economist, Due Diligence Certified and a Chartered member of Association of Certified Compliance Professional in Africa (ACCPA).

sampson
Sampson Atiadeve Chief Internal Auditor
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Sampson Atiadeve's Profile Detail

Sampson Atiadeve became a member of the Opportunity International family in September, 2022 bringing on board an extensive knowledge and expertise in Audit, Accounting and Finance. He has extensive experience as an Internal Auditor, conducting thorough assessments of financial operations, processes, and controls.

He is proficient in planning and executing risk-based audit engagements to evaluate the effectiveness and adequacy of internal controls.

Sampson is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), holds an MBA (Finance option) from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and possesses a Bachelor’s degree in Management Studies from the University of Cape Coast.

He has more than 16 years of practical experience in external and internal audit roles across diverse business sectors and has held positions as the Head of Audit at the Manya Krobo Rural Bank, F&D Finance and Leasing, and Dangote Cement Ghana Ltd.

Sampson’s position as the Head of Audit in various institutions has provided him with valuable exposure to a wide range of institutional policies, procedures, compliance policies, and regulatory directives.

kojo
Isaac Kojo Gyesi Head Of Compliance
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Isaac Kojo Gyesi's Profile Detail

Isaac Kojo Gyesi joined Opportunity International Savings and loans (OISL) in 2005 as a Branch Relationship Manager having worked with Sinapi Aba Trust from 1999 to 2004 as one of the pioneering Loan Officers.

At Sinapi Aba Trust, he worked in various roles including Area Supervisor responsible for the Western and Central Regions operations.

Isaac is a microfinance specialist with over 24 years’ experience working in the Non-bank financial sector. He has worked in different capacities at OISL as a Branch Relationship Manager, Branch Manager, Area Manager responsible for group loans, Training Manager, Project Risk Manager, Credit Risk Manager and Head of Agribusiness until 2020 when he was appointed as the Head of Compliance.

Isaac possesses an in-depth knowledge and practical experience in Microfinance through his participation in workshops, trainings sessions and seminars held in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and the Boulder Institute of Microfinance, Italy. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ghana and also a certificate from the Boulder Institute of Micro Finance in Italy.

theophilia
Theophilia Esther Larbie Head of Transformation
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Theophilia Esther's Profile Detail

Theophilia Esther Larbie is a highly accomplished professional with extensive experience in the financial services industry. She joined Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited in 2006 and has steadily progressed within the organization.

With a background in Group Loans, Esther’s exceptional skills and dedication earned her promotions to the positions of Senior Loan Supervisor, Relationship Manager, and Branch Manager.
In July 2022, Esther was appointed Head of Operational Risk. Her exceptional performance in this role led to her recent appointment as Head of Transformation, where she leverages her experience and visionary leadership to drive strategic initiatives and steer the company towards growth.
Prior to her tenure at Opportunity International Savings and Loans Limited, Esther gained valuable experience at reputable organizations such as the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (Medical Stores Division) and Cadbury Ghana Limited’s Procurement Division. Her diverse background equipped her with a well-rounded perspective on business operations.

Esther holds an MBA in Human Resource Management from the Central University of Ghana, complementing her educational qualifications with a BSc Administration (Human Resource Management) and an HND in Purchasing and Supply. She is also an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Ghana.

As the Head of Transformation, Theophilia Esther Larbie brings a dynamic blend of expertise, leadership, and a passion for driving organizational success.

richard
Richard Anyamesem Head of Marketing
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Richard Anyamesem's Profile Detail

Richard Anyamesem began his tenure at Opportunity International in 2006 as Finance Officer within the Finance department at the Head Office. Through his dedication and hard work, he progressed to the role of an Accounts Supervisor and subsequently assumed the position of a Branch Operations Manager.

He was then promoted to the position of Branch Manager at the Tema branch and later to the Ashaiman branch as a Branch Manager.

In 2014, by a dint of hard work, Richard was promoted to establish and lead the Institutional Banking department as a head. Later on, he was reassigned to the Marketing Department as a Senior Manager.

He assumed the role of the head of Micro Business in 2021, with the primary responsibility of driving growth for all micro loan products.

Richard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Studies and has attained partial qualification as an ACCA student, having successfully completed ACCA LEVEL 2. Additionally, he has a diploma in Data Processing from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. He has participated in multiple training programs covering Strategic Marketing and Branding, Digital Marketing for Managers, Financial Ratio Analysis, Strategy and Execution, as well as Corporate Governance for Microfinance Institutions’ Boards.

As the head of Marketing, Richard brings valuable skills to the table in the areas of Marketing, Sales, Operations and Finance to help promote the brand and products of the institution.

cfo
Maxwell Selorm Azafokpe Chief Finance Officer
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Maxwell Selorm's Profile Detail

Maxwell joined Opportunity International Savings and Loans Ltd on 5th January 2024 as Chief Finance Officer.

Maxwell who has over 11 years of rich experience in Finance, Accounting, Internal Controls and Auditing has strategically led several companies to achieve significant revenue growth, cost optimization and increased profitability through strong compliance to internal and external regulations and seamless financial process integrations and automation.

His work experience spans across the Brewery and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries and Online Services industry. His previous roles include Ghana Head of Finance (Accra Brewery Plc) , Ghana Head of Finance (Jobberman Ghana Ltd), Finance Manager, (Dannex Ayrton Starwin Plc), Credit Manager (Starwin Products Limited) and Credit & Internal Control Manager  (Baron Waterhouse Ltd).

 

Maxwell holds BSc. Accounting Degree and Master of Business Administration degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Professional Studies, a certificate in Strategic Treasury Operations from Ghana Technology University College and a member of Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana.

Award Night
Dennis Akomeah Ag. Head of Information Technology
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Dennis Akomeah's Profile Detail

Award Night

Dennis Akomeah has a wealth of experience in banking applications with expertise in Temenos (T24). He holds a Msc. Management Information Systems from GIMPA, Bsc. Information Technology from the Ghana Telecom University and a Diploma in Physical and Health Education from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

Dennis began his career in Ghana as a System Developer at Automasters Co. Ltd in 2010. He moved to Ghana Telecom University in 2011 to perform the same task. In 2013, He joined the National Investment Bank (NIB) as a Systems Developer, a position he held for 7years. He moved to the Digital Banking Unit of the bank in 2020 where he became the Deputy Head of the Digital Banking Unit.

Dennis has developed several enterprise solutions that run on various banking platforms has immense abilities to analyze, evaluate and develop unique solutions that ensures swift banking operations.

Dennis joined Opportunity international in January 2022 as an Enterprise Applications Manager (T24 Analyst). While in this role he brought a number of solutions to the institution such as the Donation App, Selfie verification, T24 Statement solution, Email statement solution, SMS Alerts on transactions, T24 Salary upload, Ghanacard verification configuration, Elevy API integration and other enhancements in T24.