Qatar First Bank’s newly appointed Acting CEO Ahmad Meshari has been named the “Islamic Banker of the Year for 2014” by World Finance, the UK leading financial magazine issued by World News Media in London.
The World Finance Banking Awards are held on an annual basis to honour the achievements of top bankers, financiers as well as financial institutions that made major contributions towards the advancement of the financial services industry over the years. The awards are known throughout the financial media as the top recognition for players in the financial industry. The World Finance Award Selection Panel uses a wide range of criteria to select the best performers in the financial industry based on extensive information gathered by their research team.
The award was presented to Meshari by Kumutha Ramanathan the associate producer of World Finance at the London Stock Exchange. Meshari who has over three decades of experience in the financial industry specifically in Islamic banking was acknowledged by World Finance for his outstanding leadership, sound governance and contribution to the growth of Islamic Finance in Qatar and the region.
Upon receiving the award Meshari commented “I am honoured to receive this prestigious award from World Finance. Islamic Finance has witnessed robust growth over the years specifically after having proven its resilience to economic downturns. It has also gained global interest with non-muslim countries like Britain looking at ways to tap into this emerging market. Over the past decade Qatar has undertaken many initiatives to ensure proper regulation of this vibrant sector and encourage the introduction of innovative products to further boost its growth”. Meshari continued “Islamic finance’s full potential still needs to be unlocked. According to a study undertaken by Ernst & Young it is expected to cross the milestone of USD 2trillion by 2014. At QFB we plan to introduce innovative products and investment vehicles to tap into this promising market”.
Ahmad holds a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Ottawa and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kuwait University. He is a Fellow member at the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Services and has been a holder of the Certified Lender of Business Banking from the Institute of Certified Bankers in the USA since 2003.