Linda Naa Dzama Quaynor has been appointed the first female chair of the board of United Bank for Africa Ghana, marking a historic change in the leadership of one of the country’s major banks.

Quaynor takes over from Kweku Awotwi, the Ghanaian businessman, engineer and mining executive who has chaired UBA Ghana’s board. Awotwi also serves as chairman of Multimedia Group Ghana and co-founded the nonprofit organization PlaySoccer Ghana.

UBA Ghana operates 31 branches across the country and is part of UBA Group, the pan-African banking group previously led by Nigerian billionaire businessman Tony Elumelu.

More than two decades in consulting and financial services

Quaynor brings more than 25 years of experience in management consulting, research and advocacy, with work spanning strategy, organizational improvement, business and operating models, and performance management.

Her career has included work with governments, public-sector organizations, regulators, banks, nonbank financial institutions and corporate clients on major business and organizational projects. At Deloitte, she leads Strategy and Operations across West Africa, with a focus on the financial services industry.

She has also worked closely with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System on a product adoption strategy aimed at increasing merchant participation in digital payments. Before that, she served as general manager at EFInA, where she led research, innovation funding, advocacy and capacity-building programs focused on financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Earlier in her career, Quaynor led the strategy practice and consumer goods operating platform at another professional services firm.

UBA Ghana welcomes new board chair

UBA Ghana said Quaynor’s experience across management consulting, financial services, public policy and corporate strategy would strengthen the bank’s leadership.

“We are delighted to welcome Mrs. Linda Naa Dzama Quaynor as the first female Chairperson of the Board of UBA Ghana,” the bank said.

The bank said her more than 25 years of experience across Africa and international markets would bring additional expertise to the board as UBA Ghana enters a new chapter.

Quaynor said she was honored to take on the role and thanked Elumelu, the group board and UBA management for their confidence in her.

“I look forward to working closely with the Board in Ghana, the exceptional UBA team, our valued clients, and all stakeholders to deepen our impact, drive inclusive growth, and deliver value across Ghana,” she said.

She also thanked Awotwi for his leadership during his tenure as board chairman.

Leadership changes at UBA Group

Quaynor’s appointment comes as UBA Group undergoes a wider change in its leadership.

Elumelu recently ended a 21-year tenure as chairman of UBA Group. During his time as chairman, the bank expanded across Africa and grew into a banking group with a reported $24.5 billion valuation, serving more than 35 million customers through about 1,000 branches in more than 20 African countries.

Emmanuel Nnorom has taken over as group chairman. A chartered accountant with more than four decades of experience in banking, finance and audit, Nnorom has held several senior positions within UBA.

His relationship with the group spans more than eight years. He previously served as managing director and chief executive officer of UBA Africa, where he oversaw operations across 18 African countries. He also served as group chief operating officer and group chief financial officer and was a nonexecutive director on the UBA board.

Nnorom now takes on the group’s top board role with extensive knowledge of its operations and businesses across Africa. Together with Quaynor’s appointment in Ghana, the changes mark a new chapter in UBA’s leadership as the group continues to expand its banking operations across the continent.