About
Mr. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab, with 40 years of international banking experience, was appointed Non-Executive Director at CIB in November 2022. Prior to this, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab served as an advisor to the Governor of the CBE for three months, and he founded and chaired the HE Advisory in 2020. Having worked in international banking in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, he acts as an advisor for corporations regarding growth strategies, resources mobilization, and financial risk management. Additionally, he advises fintech startups on fundraising and strategy.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is the former Chairman and Managing Director of CIB, where he served from 2002 to 2020. During his tenure, he transformed the institution from a wholesale lender with a market capitalization of EGP 1 billion into Egypt’s largest private-sector bank with a market capitalization of EGP 100 billion. As the bluechip component of the Egyptian Exchange with ADRs and GDRs listed on the New York and London Stock Exchanges, the stock is the preferred proxy for Egypt and a benchmark for the banking industry in emerging markets. Mr. Ezz Al-Arab was committed to cultivating a culture of entrepreneurial spirit and meritocracy and being up to global standards with regards to corporate governance and risk management.
Equally committed to the Bank’s global responsibility, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab introduced sustainability and gender equality initiatives in 2013. Under his leadership, CIB was the first bank in Egypt to produce a sustainability report and become signatories of the UNEP-FI: Principles for Banking. CIB was also included in the Low Carbon Select Index in the MENA region, being the only African company to be listed in 2019. He also led the digital transformation of the Bank’s processes and practices, including the establishment of a Data Analytics Unit, the first in any Egyptian bank. The Unit subsequently advised the Egyptian government regarding data collection and analysis.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab led the transaction to open CIB Mayfair Bank in Kenya to provide trade finance and credit facilities for the Bank’s Egyptian mid-sized corporate customers looking to expand in Africa. He has been recognized by a number of global publications for his leadership and the Bank’s performance, having been named Best CEO in Egypt and Africa by EMEA Finance in 2014.
In 2016, Euromoney recognized his Outstanding Contribution to Financial Services in the Middle East, and CIB was awarded Euromoney’s Best Bank in Global Emerging Markets, the first bank in Egypt and the MENA region to receive the award. Also in 2016, the Bank received the Best Bank in the Middle East award. In 2018, it was named Best Bank for Social Responsibility in the Middle East and Best Emerging Markets Bank by Global Finance in both 2018 and 2020.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is a Member of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington and the Emerging Markets Advisory Council (EMAC), as well as a board member of Ripplewood Advisors MENA. He is also a former Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Banks; a former board member of AUC, where a scholarship was named after him; and served on the boards of Smart Africa and Fairfax Africa.
Prior to joining CIB in 1999, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab spent his career as a banker at Merrill Lynch, J.P. Morgan, and Deutsche Bank in London and the Middle East.
Personal Details
Qualifications & Experience
Other directorships (state)
(only entities turnover at least $5m p/a)
Working history
Committee/s
| Company | Committee | Role | Appointment Date | Resignation Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial International Bank | Board | Member |