has 30 years’ experience with major financial institutions in the Middle East, USA and Asia. Most recently he spent four years with National Commercial Bank, the largest bank in the Arab world.

Working initially as Chief of Staff to the CEO and later as Head of the Consumer Banking Division, Mr. Hakim restructured the organisation with emphasis on building a professional marketing unit, alternative distribution channels, re-engineering and repositioning branches. He also implemented NCB’s major technology upgrade projects.

Prior to NCB, Mr. Hakim spent three years with Chase Manhattan Bank and 23 years in a variety of positions with Citibank in North America, Asia Pacific, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and Pakistan.

His assignments included: 1) overall responsibility for the trade finance function in 13 Asia Pacific countries involving product design, client and risk management, sales and service delivery; 2) head of transactional banking covering Asia to develop corporate cash management and short term trade finance as a line of business with responsibilities over product design, operation, sales, pricing and servicing; 3) direct management responsibility for operations and technology functions for Citibank in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, regional responsibility for operations and technology functions in North African countries and various assignments in Citibank branches in Lebanon, Jordan, Bahrain and Pakistan.

Mr. Hakim is a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Board of Prime Commercial Bank in Pakistan.