A customer enters an FNB branch in Johannesburg. Former HSBC CEO Muneer Ismael has been appointed as FirstRand Group Executive: corporate and enterprise banking, on July 1, 2025. Amng his tasks are to scale up the corporate banking within FNB and RMB.
Image: Supplied
Muneer Ismail, formerly HSBC South Africa's CEO, will take up the position as FirstRand Group Executive: corporate and enterprise banking, on July 1, 2025.
He will be a FirstRand Stratco member and report to the CEO Mary Vilakazi.
He will be responsible for FirstRand’s strategy to service commercial and corporate clients in a more integrated way, which FirstRand believes will be key to further scaling the group’s corporate banking offerings.
Currently, the enterprise segment, which represents, in the main, medium corporate company clients, sits within FNB, whilst the corporate bank resides in RMB. Synergies exist between these client segments, and to further unlock these, the group has created this dedicated senior executive capacity, Vilakazi said in a statement Tuesday.
“We are privileged to attract someone of Muneer’s calibre given his track record at HSBC and prior to that, his role as CEO at Deutsche Bank South Africa. Muneer brings with him deep knowledge of the needs of medium and large corporates and multinational companies operating in South Africa and the broader African region,” Vilakazi said.
She said he would be in a good position to assist in the integration of the clients that will move across to RMB, following the completion of the previously announced transaction with HSBC.
UK-based global banking group HSBC announced in September 2024 it was exiting its South African operations and it would transfer its South Africa branch business to FirstRand Bank, which included HSBC’s branch clients and banking assets, as well as liabilities.
Ismail originally studied engineering and has subsequently built a long and successful career in banking both locally and internationally.
Muneer Ismail appointed FirstRand Group Executive for corporate and enterprise banking
Muneer Ismail, formerly HSBC South Africa CEO, will take up the position as FirstRand Group Executive: corporate and enterprise banking, on July 1, 2025.
He will be a FirstRand Stratco member and report to the CEO Mary Vilakazi.
He will be responsible for FirstRand’s strategy to service commercial and corporate clients in a more integrated way, which FirstRand believes will be key to further scaling the group’s corporate banking offerings.
Currently, the enterprise segment, which represents, in the main, medium corporate company clients, sits within FNB, whilst the corporate bank resides in RMB. Significant synergies exist between these client segments, and to further unlock these synergies, the group has created this dedicated senior executive capacity, Vilakazi said in a statement Tuesday.
“We are incredibly privileged to attract someone of Muneer’s calibre given his track record at HSBC and prior to that, his role as CEO at Deutsche Bank South Africa. Muneer brings with him deep knowledge of the needs of medium and large corporates and multinational companies operating in South Africa and the broader African region,” Vilakazi said.
She said he would be in a good position to assist in the integration of the clients that will move across to RMB, following the completion of the previously announced transaction with HSBC.
UK-based global banking group HSBC announced in September 2024 it was exiting its South African operations and it would transfer its South Africa branch business to FirstRand Bank, which included HSBC’s branch clients and banking assets, as well as liabilities.
Ismail originally studied engineering and has subsequently built a long and successful career in banking both locally and internationally.
Business Report