Bahrain-based Bank ABC has recently hired a number of senior bankers with extensive regional and international expertise in support of its growth plans and its strategic objective to become Mena’s leading international bank.

The bank has announced plans to expand its international network of offices by seeking regulatory approval for opening branches in Dubai’s DIFC and in Singapore as part of its international wholesale banking client strategy and linking Mena to Asian markets.

It has also introduced several new initiatives to expand the international services and delivery offered to clients, including the development of a fully-fledged global capital markets platform.

Christopher Wilmot has joined Bank ABC as group head of treasury and financial markets in succession to John Eldredge, who will continue to assist with specialised assignments until the completion of his contract with the bank by the end of the year.

Wilmot is joining Bank ABC from First Gulf Bank (FGB) Abu Dhabi, where he was executive vice president and head of treasury and global markets group. He has extensive treasury leadership experience within the region, including periods as group treasurer of Ahli United Bank, Bahrain, and general manager treasury of Saudi Hollandi Bank in Saudi Arabia.

Bank ABC’s overall capital markets business will be headed by Rajat Sapra, who joins the bank from Standard Chartered Bank where he spent the last 11 years performing a variety of senior roles in the region including regional head of capital markets for Mena and head of corporate, institutional clients and financial markets, Qatar. He is a seasoned banker with over 25 years of experience with leading international banks operating in Mena and India.

Bank ABC has also strengthened its risk infrastructure to support business growth by appointing Paul Howard as group chief credit and risk officer. Howard is a risk career professional with a long and successful track record with Royal Bank of Scotland in the US and UK. Prior to moving to his new role in Bahrain, he successfully helped Bank ABC in the UK to further strengthen its risk management frameworks.

Howard will be assisted by Stephen Thomson, who joins Bank ABC as group chief credit officer. He joins from JP Morgan in Saudi Arabia, where he has worked as credit and risk officer.  

Bank ABC’ Group CEO Dr Khaled Kawan said the new appointments reflect the bank’s commitment to accelerate the implementation of its transformational programme that aims to boost Bank ABC’s position as a leading international bank in the Mena region.

“We are reinforcing our capital markets business and cementing our robust risk management frameworks,” said Dr Kawan. “We are proud that we have been able to attract candidates of the calibre of Christopher, Rajat, Paul and Stephen and these appointments demonstrate the high respect and trust that Bank ABC commands in the market.”
 
Bank ABC is a leading international wholesale bank operating from presences across Mena, Europe, Asia, US and Brazil and provides innovative wholesale financial products and services that include corporate banking, trade finance, project and structured finance, debt capital markets, syndications, treasury products and Islamic banking. It also provides retail banking services through its network of retail banks in Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria. – TradeArabia News Service