Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has appointed Bernice Asabea Kissi Boateng as Group Head, Personal and Business Banking.

This is a decisive move that reinforces the Bank’s transformation agenda and sharpens its competitive positioning at the top tier of Ghana’s financial services industry.

This strategic appointment underscores UMB’s deliberate focus on attracting, developing, and consolidating top-tier talent as it accelerates its ambition to become Ghana’s most trusted and customer-centric relationship bank.

In her new role, Asabea will provide executive leadership across the Bank’s Commercial, SME, Consumer, and Prominence Banking segments, a critical growth engine with a clear mandate to expand market share, deepen customer relationships, and deliver differentiated, high-impact value across all customer segments.

Asabea is a highly accomplished banking executive with over two decades of experience spanning corporate, commercial, and investment banking.

She brings a proven track record of execution excellence, disciplined growth, and strategic leadership, having consistently delivered strong balance sheet expansion, led complex structured and trade finance transactions, and managed high-value client portfolios across multiple sectors.

Prior to joining UMB, she held senior leadership roles at Access Bank Ghana, including Sector Head, Corporate Banking, and Head of Financial Institutions (Investment Banking), where she played a pivotal role in business expansion and large-scale transaction origination.

Her earlier career includes key roles at GCB Bank, Bank of Baroda Ghana, and Intercontinental Bank Ghana, where she developed deep expertise in operations, treasury, and customer service, which forms the foundation of her results-driven, performance-oriented leadership style.

A proud and active alumna of St. Rose's Senior High School, Akwatia, Asabea holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Social Sciences and a Commonwealth Executive MBA from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), complemented by extensive professional training in credit, strategy, and financial management.

Commenting on the appointment, Managing Director of UMB, Philip Oti-Mensah, stated: “This appointment reflects our clear intent to build a bank defined by exceptional talent, strong execution, and unmatched customer focus.

Bernice Asabea Kissi Boateng brings the leadership depth, commercial acumen, and strategic clarity required to accelerate growth across our Personal and Business Banking franchise.

As we intensify our transformation journey, we are assembling a leadership team capable of redefining industry standards and delivering a truly differentiated banking experience.”

This appointment forms part of a broader series of strategic leadership hires aimed at strengthening UMB’s competitive advantage, enhancing service delivery, and unlocking new growth opportunities across key market segments.

With a renewed focus on people, performance, and customer-centric innovation, UMB is rapidly emerging as a destination for top banking talent and a formidable force within Ghana’s financial landscape.