Gearing up for an imminent launch, Zand, the first digital bank to provide both retail and corporate services, has announced the formation of its Board of Directors.

Chaired by Shareholder, His Excellency Mohamed Alabbar, the board includes a panel of seasoned business leaders, each bringing a unique approach on building a banking experience for the digital age.

“We’re delighted to welcome the new board members to Zand, and I know that all of us will benefit from their forward-thinking mindset and leadership,” said Mr. Alabbar.

“Building a new and unique digital banking experience is about more than just technology. It requires visionary people with a digital mindset who believe in the power of technology to improve people’s lives while creating a sustainable business model,” he added.

Starting in alphabetical order, the Chief Commercial Officer of Emirates, Adnan Abdulfattah Kazim Abdulfattah joins the board as an independent director. He leads the airline’s Commercial Operations across its vast network of nearly 160 destinations in 86 countries including e-Commerce, Retail & Contact Centres, the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme and Emirates SkyCargo. Adnan is on the Board of Emirates Airline Foundation and is also the Chairman of Emaar Development.

Representing Franklin Templeton, Gregory Johnson is the Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Franklin Resources, Inc. During his 15 years as CEO of Franklin Templeton, Johnson led the company’s rise to become one of the world’s largest global asset managers. Franklin Templeton currently has approximately $1.45 trillion in assets under management.[1]

Representing Al Hail Holding LLC and Global Development Group, the Founder and CEO of Al Hail Holding LLC, Hamad Jassim Al Darwish is a prominent investment leader with a wealth of experience in building successful businesses across a broad category of sectors. He also serves as a Board Member and Chairman of various group companies across the GCC.

The Chief Operating Officer of Al Hail Holding LLC, Mohammed Alshaiba Almazrouei, is also representing Al Hail Holding LLC. He has over 15 years of experience in the global financial market and more than 40 filed patents as co-inventor. He also serves as a Board Member and an Executive Officer of various group companies in the UAE and the region.

The Executive Vice President of DIFC FinTech Hive, Raja Al Mazrouei, is joining the board as an independent director. She has been a key contributor in positioning Dubai among the top global FinTech hubs. She spearheaded the development of the region’s first and largest FinTech Accelerator, attracting local and international innovative technology startups to take part in the transformation opportunities of the financial services sector.

As Group CFO of the $45 billion multinational conglomerate, Aditya Birla Group, Sushil Agarwal is representing Solfrid Investments Pte. Ltd. He has led various strategic initiatives of the Group, including M&A and restructuring, for over three decades. An advocate of corporate governance and trusteeship, he serves on the board of several group companies and is a member of the group’s Business Review Council.

As an independent director, the CEO and co-founder of HWH Investments, Mr. Talha Al-Hashimi, is a hospitality investment leader with a successful history of investing in emerging hospitality trends, award-winning food and beverage projects, and hospitality-based technology platforms. Before dedicating his time to HWH, he served as the CEO of a leading investment company in the UAE where he managed a multibillion dollar real estate and investment portfolio.

As the Chairman and Managing Director of the retail conglomerate Lulu Group, and Shareholder of Zand, Yusuff Ali M. A. leads the Group’s multinational operations of more than 235 shopping malls, Hypermarkets and sourcing centres in 23 countries with $7.4 billion in annual global revenue. He is also on the board of Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce, where he serves as Vice Chairman.

Zand’s Co-founder and CEO, Olivier Crespin, said, “We’re fortunate to have a Board of Directors that shares our commitment to providing unrivalled banking solutions and bringing ease, simplicity and transparency to retail and corporate banking.”

“With our board’s collective leadership experience, we have all the support that we could ask for,” added Mr. Crespin.

Zand is providing the opportunity to stay updated on its progress via an early-access list on its website, www.zand.ae.