Communicating a bank acquisition and rebrand under scrutiny

In early 2019, First Heartland Securities acquired Tsesnabank, one of Kazakhstan’s largest banks, following a period of financial difficulty and public scrutiny.

The acquisition marked the beginning of a wider transformation that included new ownership, a new brand identity and preparations for a merger with First Heartland Bank.

The communications challenge extended well beyond announcing the transaction. Customers needed confidence in the bank’s stability, employees needed to understand what the changes meant for their work, and the public needed a clear explanation of the new Jýsan brand.

All of this was taking place in a sensitive environment for Kazakhstan’s banking sector, where negative coverage or uncertainty could quickly raise further questions.

I led corporate communications during the acquisition and rebranding period, working with executive leadership and internal teams.

A substantial part of the work involved developing clear, consistent messaging for different audiences. For customers, the focus was on explaining the transition and addressing concerns about stability and continuity. Internally, communication focused on what was changing, why it was happening and what employees could expect.

I also worked on communicating the new Jýsan identity, helping explain the reasoning behind the rebrand and the direction of the business.

Alongside the planned communications, I monitored media coverage and emerging reputational issues, assessed negative stories and coordinated responses where concerns or criticism required attention.

The role also involved rebuilding the marketing function and establishing a seven-person team to support the bank’s evolving communication and business needs.

The bank was renamed First Heartland Jýsan Bank in April 2019 and completed its merger with First Heartland Bank in September 2019 (see sources). My part was the communication around these changes, during a period of heightened public attention.

The work brought together customer reassurance, employee communication, brand messaging and ongoing media response, helping the organisation explain the transition while addressing reputational concerns as they emerged.

I also rebuilt the marketing function, establishing a seven-person team to support the next stage of the bank’s development.