On Tuesday November 8th, I&M Bank Uganda Ltd marked one year in the Ugandan market. The bank started its operations in Uganda in 2021, after acquiring Orient Bank.
I&M Bank Uganda has over the past one year focused on being client centric, supporting its clients to grow with it, and providing seamless digitalised banking services.
To commemorate this milestone, the bank rolled out a series of activities centred around its employees, customers, and communities who have played a key role for its smooth operations.
The celebrations started with the bank treating its staff to a sumptuous breakfast that was served at all its branches across the country.
Clad in blue and aqua accessorized outfits, the official I&M Bank colors, the bank staff collected domestic materials, ranging from clothes, shoes, utensils, and electronics which the bank intends to donate to underprivileged communities.
Addressing the media at the bank’s head office in Kampala, Mr. Kumaran Pather, the I&M Bank Chief Executive Officer expressed gratitude to the staff and stakeholders for their support and loyalty.
“As we celebrate our first anniversary, we want to thank our esteemed clients for believing in us. We are indebted for the trust they invested in us.
“I also want to thank the I&M Bank staff for staying dedicated to our mission of being East Africa’s leading financial partner for growth. We are very proud of our performance in the first year and look forward to greater years ahead,” said Kumaran.
In terms of business growth, Mr. Pather highlighted the provision of cross border services for its customers as one of the major growth facilitators that has enabled the bank to recruit customers from across the region over the past year.
“We enhanced processes and systems through leveraging group infrastructure, which have consequently resulted into improved customer service experience, enhanced customer value proposition, enhanced staff value proposition and regional talent exchange for staff. This has given the staff access to a pool of experts across the region, and enabled staff to embrace the I&M Group Cultural Transformation Program, Pamoja,” Pather added.
Sam Ntulume, the bank’s Executive Director and Chief Operations Officer, said that the organization had managed to achieve the main objectives set out during the integration, in their first year.
“When I&M Bank acquired Orient Bank, the business set out a couple of objectives, and I am proud to say that we have hit the 90% mark in terms of all the aspects that we had identified for the integration,” said Ntulume.
Ntulume noted, that on top of retaining Orient Bank’s customers, I&M Bank has been able to tap into the customer base of the other I&M Group subsidiaries across the region.
“We were able to retain all the Orient Bank customers, and we have served them diligently. And as a result of the integration to the I&M Group, we have been able to recruit more and more customers that are banking with other I&M subsidiaries in Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania, but also have businesses in Uganda. Those customers are now banking with us,” Ntulume added. I&M Bank has experienced tremendous growth since 1950 through acquisitions of many financial institutions, improvements in delivery of services through innovative and digital banking solutions. This growth has helped strengthen its existence and it’s a strong pillar for its growth in Uganda.
