First Abu Dhabi Bank, UAE’s largest bank, has appointed Hana Al Rostamani as its new group Chief Executive Officer (CEO)—its first female CEO to date.
With her appointment, Al Rostamani, currently the chairperson of FAB Private Bank Suisse, became the first female CEO of the $44 billion company, a report by khaleejtimes.com said.
Al Rostamani replaced Andre Sayegh, who stayed in the position for less than a year.
Al Rostamani, who is currently the deputy group CEO and head of personal banking, is among a growing number of women tapped to lead companies in the Middle East.
Last week, Oman named Haifa Al Khaifi as the CEO of a new firm that controls the country’s biggest oil block. She also served as independent director at Emirates Integrated Telecommunication Co. and vice chairperson of Emirates Institute for Banking & Financial Services.
Other women occupying high-ranking positions are the region are Sarah Al Suhaimi, chairwoman of Saudi Arabia’s stock exchange and head of NCB Capital Co., and Carmen Haddad, vice chairperson of Citigroup’s operations in the Middle East.
“FAB has always been an organisation that champions diversity, and the appointment of our first female group CEO to lead our company into the future is truly something to value,” chairman Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in the report. (CC)
