Business

NB’s new CEO Lytania Johnson

In March, FirstRand announced changes to its banking portfolio, which, among other things, resulted in a leadership shakeup. FNB parent FirstRand overhauled the bank’s operating structure, replacing its previous retail-and-commercial model with a new Retail and Business Banking (RBB) unit. Following CEO Harry Kellan’s early retirement, Lytania Johnson took on a dual role as CEO of FNB and RBB. Born in Eldorado Park, south of Johannesburg, Johnson has been with FNB for 25 years, working her way from the credit card finance division into risk, before becoming FNB's chief risk officer, chief ethics officer, and then CEO of the bank’s personal segment. She says the simplified structure will accelerate the bank’s ability to serve its customers better and offer propositions in a more “focused and efficient manner” to existing and new customers.

At FY2025 year-end, FNB had 12.6mn active customers across South Africa, and 650 branches. Johnson says the bank has spent decades building relationships. FNB's eBucks programme is a big part of its value proposition, and is used by around 8mn South Africans, paying out more than R25bn since inception in October 2000.