UBA Zambia has announced the appointment of Leonard Sichande as Chief Risk Officer, a move the bank says strengthens its governance framework and long-term resilience.In a statement, UBA Zambia said: “We are pleased to announce the appointment of Leonard Sichande as Chief Risk Officer, UBA Zambia.
In this role, Leonard will provide strategic leadership across the Bank’s risk management function, safeguarding our long-term stability and resilience. His appointment reflects our commitment to building a high-performing team that delivers lasting value to our customers, shareholders, and the communities we serve.
As Africa’s Global Bank, we continue to invest in leaders who strengthen governance and drive growth across the continent.”Sichande brings more than 12 years of experience in the financial services sector, spanning commercial banking and microfinance. He specialises in the design and implementation of enterprise-wide risk management frameworks that address both financial and non-financial risks.
His work has focused on strengthening organisational resilience, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting strategic growth by embedding risk considerations into decision-making.
Before joining UBA Zambia, he served as Country Risk and Compliance Manager at Agora Microfinance Zambia, where he led the formulation of the institution’s risk appetite, developed and operationalised its enterprise-wide risk framework in line with ISO 31000, and oversaw compliance systems. He also directed business continuity and resilience initiatives under the ISO 22301 standard and supervised credit risk analysis.
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Prior to that, he held several progressive risk roles at Access Bank Zambia. These included Team Lead for Operational Risk and Business Continuity Manager, and a period as Acting Head of Risk Management. In those positions he implemented operational risk frameworks, managed loss databases and key risk indicators, coordinated bank-wide business impact analyses, and supported executive management and the Board on risk governance.
Earlier in his career he worked as a Market and Operational Risk Analyst at Access Bank, a Remedial Assets Management Officer, a Risk and Credit Officer at Bayport Financial Services, and a Credit Officer at AB Bank Zambia, building a solid foundation in credit assessment, arrears management, and portfolio monitoring.
UBA Zambia’s leadership has emphasised that Sichande’s appointment aligns with the bank’s broader strategy of investing in professionals who can enhance risk culture, support sustainable growth, and protect the interests of stakeholders across its operations.
