October 17, 2020

Mr. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab Profile


Mr. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab directs a team of professionals who have transformed CIB from a wholesale lender into Egypt’s largest private-sector bank, which leads the sector in terms of revenue, profitability, net worth, and market share of deposits. Under his stalwart guidance, CIB has grown into an institution that serves millions of customers throughout the country, from individuals to small- and medium-sized businesses and key corporations among Egypt’s 500 largest firms. Today, the Bank, which consistently holds the largest market capitalization on the Egyptian Exchange, is the global investment community’s preferred proxy for Egypt and a benchmark for the banking industry in emerging markets. CIB’s continuous investment in its people garnered the bank recognition as one of the World’s Best Employers by Forbes in 2019, coming in at 90th place among top 500 employers globally.

Mr. Ezz Al Arab’s term has seen CIB develop a unique culture that balances an innovation-driven entrepreneurial spirit with a commitment to global best practices. Nurtured for over 15 years, the Bank’s corporate culture gives it a natural competitive advantage as an employer in the market, with CIB having established the first-of-its kind employee stock ownership program (ESOP) in 2006. More than 80% of all employees have benefited and continue to benefit from ESOP, thereby aligning the interests of both employees and shareholders. 
As part of Mr. Ezz Al-Arab’s drive to see the bank create shared value, in 2010, he launched the CIB Foundation, an Egyptian leader in the provision of universal access to quality healthcare to underprivileged communities. Throughout his tenure with the Bank, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab has also championed educational initiatives and built collaborations between CIB and reputable educational organizations to provide diversified learning opportunities such as the CIB Endowed Professorship of Banking at the American University in Cairo. 
Under Mr. Ezz Al-Arab’s direction, CIB has received numerous prestigious international accolades, including being named “World’s Best Emerging Markets Bank” by Global Finance in 2018, a year after being recognized for the same award by Euromoney, making it the first bank in Egypt, North Africa, and Middle East to ever win this award. For his part, Mr. Ezz Al- Arab was named “CEO of the Year” by Global Investor in 2019, recognized in 2016 for his “Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services in the Middle East” and was EMEA Finance’s “Best CEO in Egypt and Africa” at the magazine’s 2014 Banking Awards.

Mr. Ezz Al-Arab leads the Federation of Egyptian Banks as Chairman, is co-chair of the Institute of International Finance’s Emerging Markets Advisory Council, and serves as Director of Mastercard Middle East’s Regional Advisory Board. He is also Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CIB Foundation, and is a non-executive Director of the Board at Fairfax Africa and a non-executive Director of the Board at Ripplewood Advisors MENA Holdings Limited.Mr. Ezz Al-Arab joined CIB from Deutsche Bank and previously served with JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch in postings that took him to Bahrain, New York, and Cairo. He holds a BA in Commerce from Cairo University.

https://www.cibeg.com/English/InvestorRelations/CompanyStructure/Pages/BoardofDirectors.aspx