By Usa Koto
Haroon Ali is to be the new Country Head of Bank South Pacific in Fiji, the bank has just announced in a statement released a short while ago.
He succeeds Kevin McCarthy when he retires at the end of 2018.
Ali is currently BSP Group’s chief risk officer currently based at bank headquarters in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and when the changeover starts in June, he will become the first Fijian to head BSP’s business in Fiji.
“As a village boy from Vunimoli in Labasa, my dream has always been to become a bank’s country head in Fiji. I have worked hard over the years since joining Bank of New Zealand in 1980 and today I am really excited to have finally realised that dream. I am very passionate about this job and would like to thank the Group Chairman, Group CEO and the BSP Board for giving me this great opportunity to lead BSP in Fiji,” the BSP statement quoted Ali as saying.
“I would also like to thank Mr McCarthy firstly for recruiting me to this great organisation and secondly for his outstanding leadership at BSP that has seen the Bank grow from strength to strength,” added Ali.
He has 38 years of banking experience in Fiji, Australia and Papua New Guinea, and prior to joining BSP, Ali had worked for the ANZ Banking group.