Archie Hesse, a pivotal figure in Ghana’s financial sector, is set to step down as Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited (GhIPSS) on July 1, 2025. This marks the end of an almost two-decade tenure during which he profoundly shaped the country’s modern payment infrastructure and digital financial landscape. Mr. Hesse initially joined GhIPSS in 2007 as General Manager for Projects and Business Development, quickly leading the implementation of foundational systems crucial for Ghana's financial evolution.

Among his early and significant achievements were the National Biometric Smart Card Banking and Payment System (e-zwich), which became a key platform for government social grant disbursements; the Cheque Codeline Clearing (CCC) System; the Ghana Automated Clearing House (GACH); and the National Switching and Processing System, gh-link, which powers Ghana’s domestic EMV card scheme. These initiatives laid the groundwork for a more efficient and interconnected financial system.

A major milestone under his leadership was the launch of the GhIPSS Instant Pay (GIP) platform in 2015. This transformative system revolutionized interbank payments in Ghana and subsequently formed the basis for the mobile money interoperability service introduced in 2018. Today, GIP remains central to Ghana’s digital payments ecosystem, facilitating seamless fund transfers between bank accounts, mobile money wallets, and various financial institutions. Furthermore, in 2022, Mr. Hesse collaborated with the Ghana Association of Banks to spearhead the rollout of GhanaPay, a shared bank-wide mobile money platform designed to significantly expand financial inclusion across the nation.

Beyond technological innovation, Mr. Hesse is widely credited with steering GhIPSS from a government-subvented entity into a financially self-sustaining and independent institution. His prudent management and strategic leadership reinforced GhIPSS’s vital role in supporting the Bank of Ghana’s broader cash-lite agenda. Following his departure, the Board has appointed Mr. Kwadwo Ntim, the current General Manager for Operations and Technology, to serve as Acting CEO. GhIPSS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank of Ghana, was incorporated in May 2007 with the mandate to implement and manage interoperable payment system infrastructures for all banks and non-bank financial institutions in Ghana, maintaining high standards of excellence, reliability, integrity, and timeliness.