THUR NOV 12 2026-theGBJournal|The Alternative Bank Limited (Alt Bank) has appointed Gul Khan as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, following approval by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), marking a leadership transition as the non-interest lender positions for its next phase of growth.
Khan succeeds Hassan Yusuf, the Bank’s founding Managing Director, and brings more than 25 years of international financial services experience spanning Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
He joins Alt Bank from I&M Bank Kenya, where he served as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director. He previously held the position of Group Head of Products at Airtel Money, overseeing the fintech business across 14 African markets, and was Global Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management at HSBC Amanah, the banking group’s non-interest financial services business.
His career also includes senior executive positions with financial institutions in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Qatar, giving him extensive experience across conventional banking, non-interest finance and technology-driven financial services.
Commenting on the appointment, Muhtar Bakare, Chairman of Alternative Bank, said Khan’s experience would be instrumental in strengthening the lender’s market position and expanding its reach.
“Gul’s expertise in non-interest banking and his leadership experience across African financial services position him well to lead Alternative Bank through its next phase of growth. The Board is confident in his ability to build on the Bank’s foundations and broaden its reach, while maintaining the strong governance and commercial discipline essential to long-term success.”
Khan is expected to work closely with the Board and management team to advance the Bank’s strategic priorities, with a focus on customer acquisition, business growth and expanding access to non-interest financial solutions.
Outlining his vision, the new chief executive said the Bank would seek to strengthen its appeal to individuals and businesses by developing accessible financial products tailored to their needs.
“The opportunity is to make Alt Bank the preferred choice for consumers and businesses in Nigeria. That means understanding what customers need, whether acquiring productive assets or growing their businesses, and providing solutions that are relevant and they can use with ease. I look forward to working with colleagues to build on Alt Bank’s progress and earn our customers’ continued trust.”
The leadership transition comes as Alt Bank strengthens its capital position and technology infrastructure to support its expansion ambitions.
The Bank said it had met the CBN’s revised minimum capital requirement for national non-interest banks well ahead of the regulatory deadline. It has also completed its migration to MIZAN, a core banking platform specifically designed for non-interest financial institutions.
The strengthened capital base and technology investment are expected to enhance the Bank’s capacity to finance business expansion, deepen customer engagement and develop financial products tailored to the needs of individuals and enterprises.
Alt Bank is a subsidiary of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Plc, a diversified Nigerian financial services group. It leverages the Group’s institutional strength, governance framework and commitment to innovation to expand access to non-interest financial services across Nigeria.
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