UMB CEO is 2025 top influential business leader of the decade

Dr. Philip Oti-Mensah, Chief Executive Officer of Universal Merchant Bank (UMB), has been named a Top Influential Business Leader of the Decade at the 2025 Ghana Corporate Executives Awards.

The event—organised by the Entrepreneurs Foundation of Ghana—was held at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel on Saturday, 22nd November 2025.

This prestigious honour recognises extraordinary leaders whose strategic foresight, sustained impact, and transformational leadership have significantly shaped industries and strengthened Ghana’s economic trajectory over the past decade.

For many industry observers, the recognition affirms Dr. Oti-Mensah’s long-standing record of turning around institutions, developing high-performing talent, and championing initiatives that support national economic advancement.

A decade of institutional transformation

Dr. Oti-Mensah’s impact on Ghana’s financial services sector spans leadership roles across several prominent institutions. A key milestone in his career was his leadership of Union Savings and Loans, where the shareholders and board entrusted him with transforming the organisation into a universal bank. Between 2013 and 2015, he moved the institution from the bottom of the industry to number one in total assets and profitability—an exceptional turnaround achieved in less than three years.

Following this, he worked closely with the Bank of Ghana to secure a universal banking license, establishing OmniBank as its founding Chief Executive Officer. He later played a pivotal role in the merger that created OmniBSIC, where, as Executive Director, he led key aspects of the bank’s recapitalisation and organisational restructuring, positioning it for long-term growth and stability.

A leader who builds people, not just organisations

Throughout the industry, Dr. Oti-Mensah is celebrated not only for transforming institutions but also for developing leaders. Today, nearly every major bank in Ghana has at least one senior professional who was directly trained or mentored under his leadership—an enduring legacy that continues to elevate the sector’s human capital.

Accelerating transformation at UMB

Since assuming the role of CEO at Universal Merchant Bank, Dr. Oti-Mensah has championed an ambitious transformation agenda that is already producing strong, measurable results. Between May and October 2025, UMB’s total assets more than doubled—from approximately GH¢5 billion to over GH¢13 billion—and returned one of Ghana’s oldest indigenous banks to profitability within months. Analysts have described this performance as “unprecedented in recent banking cycles.”

Under his stewardship, UMB has sharpened its strategic direction, expanded its digital banking footprint, strengthened customer experience, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced staffcapabilities to meet modern banking demands. Industry experts now view UMB as firmly repositioned for sustained growth and renewed market competitiveness.

A recognition of enduring influence

The Top Influential Business Leader of the Decade award honours leaders whose influence extends well beyond their immediate organisations to shape the direction of entire industries. Dr. Oti-Mensah’s unique ability to drive institutional renewal, develop future leaders, and guide organisations toward resilience and long-term success places him among Ghana’s most impactful business figures of his generation.

The 2025 Ghana Corporate Executives Awards marked its 10th anniversary under the theme: ‘The Role of Public–Private Partnerships in Corporate Governance and Economic Development’.

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