CalBank marks 35 years with RED Walk; Reaffirms resilience and commitment to indigenous banking

CalBank marks 35 years with RED Walk; Reaffirms resilience and commitment to indigenous banking

CalBank PLC brought the curtain down on its 35th anniversary celebration with a nationwide wellness walk dubbed the “RED Walk,” held on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The walk began and ended at the bank’s head office in Accra, passing through Osu, and attracted staff, clients, and stakeholders in a vibrant show of unity and corporate wellness.

The event formed the climax of the bank’s RED Week celebration, which focused on the core values of Responsibility, Effectiveness, and Decisiveness (RED). Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the walk, the Managing Director of CalBank, Carl Selasi Asem, said the occasion was not only a fitness activity but a reaffirmation of the principles that have guided the bank through three and a half decades.

“The main objective of this walk aligns with our values week, which incidentally coincides with our 35th anniversary,” he said. “We wanted to use this occasion to remind all staff and stakeholders about our values, which have made us resilient.”

He added that throughout the week, the bank had celebrated its values through various team-based activities aimed at deepening commitment to service excellence. “Our values have been captured into three — being responsible, effective, and decisive. These are the principles that have driven our success, and today’s walk brought us together to bond and tell the country what we stand for.”

Mr Asem also addressed recent questions about the bank’s financial standing, particularly in the wake of the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP), which affected the broader banking industry. He reassured stakeholders of the bank’s financial health and renewed focus.

“The shareholders have come together after the DDEP and have made a very good asset quality review. We took some hit, but we have actually bounced back,” he said. “The shareholders have demonstrated full commitment and support to recapitalise the bank. Capitalisation is not an issue. We’ve returned to profitability since last year.”

He noted that CalBank is positioning itself for greater heights through innovation and customer-focused strategies, with a renewed push into SME and individual banking.

“We’ve taken a step back to reorganise and are now ready to relaunch. With innovations in technology and new products, we’re poised to exceed the expectations of all stakeholders. CalBank is an indigenous bank and one of the most effective in payment systems and technology. We are ready to be one of the top banks in this country.”

Earlier in the week, CalBank’s leadership emphasised the importance of indigenous banks in supporting national development. Mr Asem said local institutions are critical to economic resilience, especially during crises.

“Any country that relies on foreigners to run its banking system puts itself at great risk. When everything comes down, it’s the indigenous banks that stay to help the economy recover,” he stressed.

The Head of People & Culture at CalBank, Andy Asiedu, also urged staff to continue to embody the bank’s core values beyond the RED Week celebrations.

“What is success without values? It doesn’t last,” he said. “The bedrock of service is our behaviour. If we get our behaviours right, the business will turn around.”

CalBank, established in 1990, has grown into one of Ghana’s leading financial institutions with a strong emphasis on innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. The RED Week celebration — themed “Rooted in Values. Built to Last. Proudly Indigenous” — marked not just a milestone, but a recommitment to the values that have shaped the bank’s journey.

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