Mr. Hisham Ezz Al-Arab was reappointed as Chief Executive Officer and Board Member of the Commercial International Bank (CIB) – Egypt, in November 2024. Formerly, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab was the Chairman of the Commercial International Bank (CIB) – Egypt since March 2023; prior to his appointment in CIB, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab served as an advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt for three months in 2022 before rejoining CIB as Non-Executive Director of the Board in December 2022. In 2020, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab founded and chaired HE Advisory till his appointment as CIB Chairman in March 2023 where he - with over 40 years of experience as an international banker across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa - had advised corporations on Growth Strategies, Resources Mobilization and Financial Risk Management and provided fundraising advice and strategic counsel to start-up fintechs.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is the former Chairman and Managing Director of Commercial International Bank - Egypt (CIB), where he served in that role 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 more than EGP 250 billion. As the blue-chip component of the Egyptian Exchange with ADRs and GDRs listed on the New York and London Stock Exchanges, the stock is the global investment community’s preferred proxy for Egypt and a benchmark for the banking industry in emerging markets.
His leadership was committed to cultivating and perpetuating a culture of entrepreneurial spirit and meritocracy and to global best practices with respect to corporate governance and risk management. Equally committed to the bank’s global responsibility, in 2013, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab introduced sustainability and gender equality initiatives. CIB was the first bank in Egypt to issue a sustainability report and to join the signatories for the United Nations Environment Program Financial Initiatives: Principles for Responsible Banking. CIB was also included in the Low Carbon Select Index in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In 2019, CIB was named to the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, the only company in Egypt and Africa to be listed. He also led the digital transformation of the bank’s processes and practices, including the establishment of a Data Analytics unit, the first such effort at an Egyptian bank.
Recognizing the potential opportunities in Africa, particularly East Africa as a trade hub, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab led the transaction to open CIB Mayfair Bank in Kenya (now known as “CIB Kenya Limited” a fully owned subsidiary by CIB) to provide trade finance and credit facilities for the bank’s Egyptian mid-sized corporate customers looking to expand into Africa.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab has been recognized by a number of global publications for his leadership and the bank’s performance. He was 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” CIB was awarded Euromoney’s Best Bank in Global Emerging Markets, the first bank in Egypt and MENA to receive this award. The same year they were awarded Best Bank in the Middle East. In 2018, CIB received the Best Bank for Social Responsibility in the Middle East. CIB was named Best Emerging Markets Bank by Global Finance in both 2018 and 2020.
In May 2023, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab received the prestigious African Banker’s “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his remarkable achievements throughout his banking career especially as leader of CIB.
Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is the Chairman of the CIB Foundation, which he founded in 2010. The CIB Foundation has built strategic partnerships with healthcare providers from the government, private, and non-government sectors focused on the health and wellbeing of underprivileged children throughout Egypt. As a result of its efforts, the Foundation has impacted the lives of more than 7 million children and is a leading Egyptian voice for universal access to quality healthcare extended to underprivileged children. Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is a former board member of GB Capital for Financial Investments, a former board member of the Gulf Insurance Group (GIG), a Member of the Institute of International Finance (IIF) in Washington and a member of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council (EMAC). Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is a former Chairperson of the Federation of Egyptian Banks, a former board member of the American University in Cairo (where a scholarship in his name was established for a dedicated undergraduate student). Mr. Ezz Al-Arab is also a former board member of “Fairfax Africa”, “RW MENA” and “Smart Africa”.
Prior to joining CIB in 1999, Mr. Ezz Al-Arab spent his career as a banker in London Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan.