Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) today announced the appointment of Abdulla Al Hamli as the Managing Director and board member for the bank. Dr. Adnan Chilwan has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the bank.
His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of His Highness The Ruler’s Court of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Islamic Bank, said: “On behalf of the Board of DIB, I would like to thank Abdulla Al Hamli for his leadership and untiring support in navigating the organization through the tough and difficult times posed by the global economic downturn in the previous years. I look forward to his continuous support in his new role as Managing Director of DIB.”
The Chairman further added: “I am delighted to have Dr. Adnan Chilwan appointed to lead DIB as the Chief Executive Officer. Dr. Chilwan is a proven, hands-on leader with commendable pedigree and has consistently delivered outstanding results in his prior assignments. These are exciting times for the bank and its stakeholders, and Dr. Chilwan’s diversified experience and expertise across the financial services spectrum coupled with unmatched leadership qualities will prove extremely valuable for DIB’s future development and growth.”
The new restructuring is primarily to refocus the bank’s strategy towards an agenda of growth and expansion given the positive local and regional economic outlook. Abdulla Al Hamli’s leadership and experience and Dr Chilwan’s diverse expertise at managing both consumer and wholesale business is an ideal fit to facilitate such a change.
“It has been a privilege to serve DIB as the CEO over the last 5 years,” said Abdulla Al Hamli. “With the support of the management and the staff, we have come out even stronger after the crisis and are ready for a return to growth as the recent performance shows. I welcome Dr. Adnan Chilwan to this challenging and exciting role as the CEO and look forward to working closely with him to take DIB towards many more successes in the near future.”
On his appointment as the CEO, Dr. Adnan Chilwan said: “I am honoured by the confidence and trust that the board of directors have placed in me. DIB as the first Islamic bank in the world has a long and rich history. The bank has weathered the storm over the past few years remarkably well and is ideally positioned to take advantage of the positive economic climate in the UAE today. I am excited about the opportunities that Dubai and UAE represent and am looking forward to leading this iconic institution and transforming it to a prominent local and international franchise.”
Prior to this appointment Abdulla Al Hamli has been the CEO of the bank since 2008 and has led the bank to weather the global financial crisis by implementing a focused and well thought strategy to emerge a stronger and robust player.
Dr. Chilwan has been the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Dubai Islamic Bank since 2008. He has varied and diversified experience in senior positions with both reputed conventional and Islamic banks in the gulf region. Dr. Chilwan represents DIB in boards of various strategic investments, subsidiaries and associates. Dr. Chilwan has a PhD and a MBA in Marketing. He is a Certified Islamic Banker (CeIB), a Post Graduate in Islamic Banking & Insurance and an Associate Fellow Member in Islamic Finance Professionals Board.