Ghana's banking industry is a fiercely competitive one. Banks continuously try to out-do one another in the delivery of bespoke services built on technology. Zenith Bank, despite being an integral member of the industry, appears to lead the pack by a mile and there are reasons to prove this.
The award-winning Bank continues to blaze the trail; receiving more recognitions for its mastery of the art of banking.
This year alone, the Bank can boast of at least 13 industry awards from both international and local organisations.
Quite instructive is the fact that almost every aspect of the Bank's functions has received some acknowledgement for its excellent service delivery.
At the heart of banking is the customer – around whom everything rises and falls.
Zenith Bank's customer care delivery has been recognised at three different industry awards. The Bank was adjudged Best Customer Service Bank at the International Finance Magazine Awards as well as the International Business Magazine Awards.
As a further testament to its excellence in customer service, the Bank again took home the Outstanding Customer Service Award – Banking, at the prestigious West Africa Business Excellence Awards (WABA) held at the Marriot Hotel in Accra.
Technology is a big deal at Zenith Bank. It has been used to design a lot of game changing products – making banking a pleasurable experience for its customers. These products and their numerous success stories were also recognized at some industry awards.
Zenith Bank has partnered some telecommunication companies to introduce the Mobile Money Bank2Wallet Service, to allow mobile phone users to conveniently link their traditional bank accounts to their mobile money wallets in order to make payments for goods and services 24 hours a day – demystifying access to traditional banking products by the unbanked.
It therefore came as little surprise that at the Ghana Information Technology and Telecom Awards (GITTA) held in June this year, Zenith Bank took home Best Fintech Bank Collaboration of the Year.
At the same awards, the Bank's Platinum Prepaid Mastercard was also adjudged the Best Prepaid Initiative of the Year.
The Bank early this year launched its digital banking campaign themed 'Go Lite with Zenith Bank', to highlight the various e-products of the bank and also promote government's agenda of driving a society that relies less on cash for transactions in a fast and smart way.
As a Bank that is immersed in social responsibility, Zenith's emergence as the Best CSR Bank at the Global Business Outlook Awards left little doubts, if any.
The company has over the years embarked on a number of sustainable initiatives in fulfilment of some of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In the year under review, it is worth noting that Citi Bank also gave the Bank an award for US Dollar Payments Straight Through Processing Excellence Awards.
Zenith Bank also came out as the Best Corporate Bank in Ghana at the International Business Magazine Awards. The Global Business Outlook Awards also named the bank as the Best Commercial Bank.
In all, Zenith came up ahead of its peers at four different industry awards to put the icing on the cake of the Bank's lead role in the highly competitive banking landscape. The World Finance Magazine adjudged Zenith to be the Best Banking Group in the country.
The Global Finance Magazine also awarded Zenith as the Best Bank in Ghana with AI Global for CV Magazine also giving the accolade for the Most Outstanding Bank in Ghana to Zenith.
The Middle-East Africa (MEA) Business Elite Awards, which tracks firms and individuals who shape the conversation, not just across the Middle East and Africa but throughout their entire industry or sector, also gave Zenith Bank the 2019 Award for Excellence: Banking.
Thus, in the first seven months of the year, the bank has taken home a total of 13 awards to strengthen the Bank's dominance.
Indeed, superior quality of banking products and service delivery aside, Zenith Bank enjoys truly outstanding corporate leadership, which has translated into excellent corporate governance, the success factor recognized as the most vital during this period when Ghana's banking industry undergoes profound structural and regulatory change.
And for the man who has been in charge of driving a wonderful team of talented individuals and the deployment of meaningful technology to achieve these amazing feats, Mr. Henry Oroh's efforts did not go unnoticed.
According to the International Finance Magazine, the celebrated banker credited for churning out series of impressive financial performance as MD/CEO of Zenith Bank, was Banking CEO of the Year, 2019.
The Dubai-based International Business Magazine and the CEO Monthly publications both awarded Henry Oroh, Banking CEO of the Year 2019 and CEO of the Year 2019 - Ghana, for his remarkable leadership which has distinguished the Zenith brand from its closest peers.
Speaking on the awards, the MD/CEO said, "Our international and local recognition is truly gratifying. The awards are an attestation that Zenith Bank Ghana is on course to achieving its quest of becoming a market leader in the next three years".
He expressed appreciation to customers for aspiring with the Bank and reassured customers of the Bank's commitment to continue being responsive, innovative as well as improve its product and service offering to meet their ever changing needs.