The Board of Directors of ARB Apex Bank PLC has announced the appointment of Curtis William Brantuo (Esq.) as Acting Managing Director, effective Friday, January 2, 2026, following the receipt of the regulatory “no objection” from the Bank of Ghana.

The appointment follows the successful completion of the four-year tenure of Mr Alex Kwasi Awuah, who served as Managing Director from 2021 to 2025 and led the Bank through a period of significant institutional strengthening and sector-wide reforms. The Board expressed confidence that the transition will ensure continuity in leadership, stability in governance and a sustained strategic focus for ARB Apex Bank and the wider Rural and Community Banking (RCB) sub-sector.

Mr Brantuo, who has served as Deputy Managing Director since December 1, 2022, will work closely with the Board of Directors and Management to execute the Bank’s strategic vision and operational objectives until a substantive Managing Director is appointed. His appointment is widely regarded as a steadying influence, given his deep institutional knowledge and long-standing service within the Bank.

A seasoned legal and banking professional, Mr Brantuo has been with ARB Apex Bank PLC since February 2008. Over the years, he has held several key positions, most notably as Legal Officer and subsequently as Head of Legal, Compliance and Company Secretary from October 1, 2008. In that role, he played a pivotal part in strengthening corporate governance, regulatory compliance and board effectiveness across the Bank and the network of Rural and Community Banks.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology, a Qualifying Certificate in Law (QCL), and a Bachelor of Laws (BL) from the University of Ghana and the Ghana School of Law. He also possesses a postgraduate certificate in Information Technology Law from Wisconsin University College, Ghana, as well as MBAs in Banking and Finance from the Paris Graduate School of Management and the University of Gold Coast (formerly Accra Business School).

Mr Brantuo brings to the role over 25 years of leadership experience in legal practice, banking, compliance and corporate governance. He is a senior member of the Ghana Bar Association with more than 25 years’ standing at the Bar, a Chartered Banker, and a member of the Institute of Directors.

Before joining ARB Apex Bank, he practised law at Lexnet Legal Consult between 2004 and 2007, and earlier at Hayibor, Djarbeng & Co. in Accra from 2001 to 2003.

ARB Apex Bank PLC operates under Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 1825, with delegated authority from the Bank of Ghana to regulate and supervise Rural and Community Banks in Ghana. The institution provides supervisory, liquidity management, payment and technical support services to 147 Rural and Community Banks, which collectively operate more than 850 branches across all 16 regions of the country.

Stakeholders across the rural banking sector have welcomed the appointment, describing it as a well-considered decision that reinforces confidence in the governance framework of ARB Apex Bank and underscores the Board’s commitment to stability, continuity and sustained progress within Ghana’s rural and community banking ecosystem.