Photo from left to right: Pierre-Antoine Vallet – Chief Operating Officer; Ishmelly Kevu – Finance Manager; Charishma Kumar – Head of Treasury; Owen Thomson – CEO; Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare; Rob Bochman – Head of Retail; Kinsy Osman – Project & Business Development Manager; Lepani Makubuna – Head of Business
In the Solomon Islands the new Point Cruz branch is located in the city center, more accessible to companies located west of Honiara, as well as to all ministries in the surrounding area.
The inauguration of the branch took place in presence of the Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
BRED Bank Solomons already has more than 4,000 customers and is managing over $680 million in deposits and over $460 million in lending in less than 30 months of operations in-country.
“This is $460million pumped into the development of targeted sectors in the economy […] it speaks volume of the level of trust that the Bank has […] toward Solomon Islands,” said the Prime Minister.
He also recalled that BRED has established itself in the Solomon Islands by investing more than one hundred million dollars without any direct assistance from the government. Beyond the financial contributions, the Prime Minister was keen to highlight the ethical efforts of BRED Bank Solomon Islands in terms of recruitment. It thus employs 70 nationals and strives to achieve gender parity.
In conclusion, Prime Minister Sogavare encouraged Owen Thomson, CEO of BRED Bank Solomon, to consider expanding the Bank’s services to the provinces to create healthy competition in the rural areas.