- First National Bank Ghana Picks Sylvia Inkoom as First Female Chief Executive
First National Bank Ghana has named its first female, Sylvia Inkoom, as its next Chief Executive Officer, with the appointment due to take effect on 1 July 2026, as the bank looks to deepen financial access and strengthen its client-focused growth strategy.
The appointment, which remains subject to approval by the Bank of Ghana, marks a leadership transition inside one of the country’s fastest-growing banking institutions and places a long-serving senior executive at the centre of its next phase of expansion.
Sylvia Inkoom will succeed Warren Adams, who has led the bank since 2022 and is moving into a new role within the wider FirstRand Group.
In announcing the appointment, the bank said the move reflects its continued ambition to provide “unmatched digital banking services and topline value” to customers across Ghana.
Until this elevation, Madam Inkoom served as Executive Director and Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, a role in which the bank said she played an important part in deepening client relationships across its corporate and investment banking franchise. Her promotion suggests a preference for continuity, internal succession and commercial familiarity at a time when banks are under growing pressure to combine digital delivery with deeper customer relevance.
She also brings 21 years of banking experience into the role, with expertise spanning relationship management, treasury, global markets, finance and structured deals.
Board chairman Emmanuel Idun said the bank was confident her experience and market knowledge would help strengthen the institution’s offering.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are excited about Sylvia’s elevation to the CEO role,” he said. “We are confident that her deep understanding of the Ghanaian banking industry will enable us to deliver the relevant solutions to our clients as well as excellent banking service.”
He added that “her experience will help unlock further value in our banking services and expand our existing offerings to help Ghanaians achieve their financial goals.”
Earlier in her career, Inkoom served as Deputy Managing Director at UBA Ghana, a role that gave her broader exposure to both national and international banking and finance at senior management level.
Her academic and professional profile reflects a strong finance and leadership background. She is a fellow of the Institute of Leadership and Management in London and a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and holds an executive certificate in Corporate Finance from the London School of Economics, as well as a certificate in Strategic Client Management from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Cape Town. She earned both her BSc in Business Administration and her MBA in Finance from the University of Ghana Business School.
The appointment was also endorsed at Group level. Bydon Longwe, Broader Africa CEO of FirstRand, said he expected Inkoom’s commercial judgement and relationship-led banking experience to strengthen the bank’s role in Ghana’s financial sector.
“I look forward to seeing Sylvia leverage her wealth of experience and deep understanding of client relations to steer our business forward and provide sustainable solutions that benefit the communities in which we serve,” he said.
The bank also used the announcement to acknowledge the contribution of outgoing Chief Executive Warren Adams, whose tenure it said helped strengthen the institution’s foundations and position it as a credible player within Ghana’s banking industry.
Idun said Adams had led with “a consistent commitment to building a high-performing team and fostering a culture anchored in customer centricity and excellence”, adding that his leadership had created the conditions for the bank’s next phase of growth.
Adams himself expressed confidence in the transition. “With our proven customer-centric approach and the quality of our team, Sylvia’s leadership will enable us to take on more opportunities to move First National Bank forward,” he said.
He added: “In her very capable hands, the team has all it takes to contribute to becoming a significant market player and supporting the overall growth and quality of the banking industry in Ghana.”
Madam Inkoom’s appointment signals continuity in strategy but also a sharper emphasis on execution, especially in a banking market where growth will increasingly depend not just on balance sheet strength but on how well institutions combine digital capability, client intimacy and relevance in a crowded field.
