EQUITY GROUP CREATES A CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AFRICA REGIONAL OFFICE

 Mr. Yves Cuypers has been appointed the first Equity Group Holdings Plc, regional director in charge of the Central and Southern Africa region.  Cuypers is the immediate former managing director of Banque Commerciale du Congo (BCDC) which has since merged with Equity Bank Congo (EBC) to form Equity BCDC, the second largest bank in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The appointment signals the group’s strategy to expand its presence beyond Eastern Africa by creating a dedicated sub-continent office for Central and Southern Africa. As the new regional director, Cuypers will focus on establishing the financial services organization firmly in the region. He will also support the new managing director of Equity BCDC in the DRC, Mr. Celestin Mukeba, to achieve a smooth transition for the new Equity BCDC subsidiary.

Announcing the new appointment from Kinshasa, Equity Group Holdings, chief executive officer, Dr. James Mwangi said:  “We are excited to have Cuypers become our first regional director for the Central and Southern Africa Region.  He brings to the group extensive knowledge and experience of the banking industry from his work with European banks and his tenure as the managing director of BCDC for the last 17 years. As we seek to expand our footprint and impact, Cuypers will play a strong role in our consolidation and delivery of financial services to new markets across Central and Southern Africa.”

 Cuypers brings more than thirty years of experience in the banking and financial industry, across two continents. He has dedicated his career to the development and sustainability of client success with deep knowledge of credit facilities, financial analysis, risk and compliance, tax optimization, derivatives and cash management. A seasoned executive, he has led the strategic and organizational planning for large multinational financial institutions, most recently serving as the director general for the former Banque Commerciale du Congo (BCDC) – now Equity BCDC – in the DRC for the past 17 years. He brings deep experience in governance and regulatory management, while also being a strong advocate in protecting the interests of customers, agents and shareholders. Cuypers was instrumental in the acquisition of BCDC by Equity Group Holdings which was successfully completed in 2020.