I&M Bank appoint Robin Bairstow new boss
Mr Robin Bairstow
What you need to know:
- Mr Robin Bairstow takes over from Mr Sam Ntulume, who has been acting in the position for more than a year
I&M Bank, formerly Orient Bank, has appointed Mr Robin Bairstow as the new chief executive officer.
He replaces Mr Sam Ntulume, who will continue in his role as the bank’s executive director and chief operations officer. He had been serving in acting capacity following the exit of Kumaran Pather in December 2022.
Mr Bairstow takes over more than two years after I&M, with headquarters in Kenya, acquired a 90 percent stake in Orient Bank in November 2021. I&M Holdings operates other subsidiaries in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Mauritius.
Mr Suleiman Kiggundu, the bank’s chairman, said in a statement that Mr Bairstow’s appointment offers the experience and knowledge needed to boost I&M’s ambition of becoming Uganda’s leading financial partner for growth, before, applauding Mr Ntulume for the strong leadership exhibited to ensure the business thrives.
Mr Bairstow has been working with I&M Bank since 2015, serving as the bank’s chief executive officer in Rwanda, supporting the subsidiary to triple its assets to Shs1.4 trillion (RWF 491.3b), while pre-tax profits multiplied to Shs40.6b (RWF 13.4b), while at the same time he supported the bank’s process of listing on the Rwanda Stock Exchange in 2017.
He has also previously worked with Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank NA, BOE Bank, and Nedbank with a stint in Asia, which offers an edge in dealing with dynamic financial landscapes.
Mr Bairstow holds a diploma in Business Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the University of Leicester. He is also a graduate of South African Merchant Naval Academy.
