Arab Women in Banking and Finance

Kaouthar Mehrez is Managing Partner and a co-founder of GALITE Partners, a French advisory boutique founded in 2021 that designs tailor-made financial investment solutions.

She launched the firm alongside former senior executives from Natixis and Groupe Casino, bringing together experience in investment banking, structured solutions and corporate finance.

Nawel Boutarouk is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OLYMPES, a fintech whose mission is to give women the means to take control of their finances and build their wealth.

OLYMPES offers hyper-personalised digital support: it starts from each woman's relationship with money, then helps her clarify her life projects and build a personal action plan to achieve them.

Leila is a seasoned business leader with a proven track record in leading Africa’s economic and social development with strong achievements in women economic empowerment. She is also serving on Boards and governance bodies. She has been part of The African Development Bank’s Group (The Bank) senior management team for 23 years. As former Director General for Southern Africa, Leila drove high-level dialogue and operations ensuring The Bank operates efficiently, effectively and successfully in the relevant 13 countries. She managed a portfolio of USD 13 billion. She drove and monitor adaptation to the specific requirements of individual countries/operations with greater efficiency, cost effectiveness and value added in the use of resources with downstream gains for Regional Member Countries and the private sector in the Southern Region. She prioritized the support, stabilization and strengthening of African economies to get back on a stronger pathway of economic growth and resilience. She leveraged knowledge to underpin the design of country and regional strategies as well as leveraging Bank’s expertise leading to high performance to achieve a set of common goals.

Leila, a Tunisian citizen, is a seasoned professional in international Finance. She has over 30 years of experience on multilateral development banks and international institutions, gained from her employment in the national civil service and in international bodies. Leila joined the Bank in September 2002. She was appointed in 2017 as Country manager & Resident representative of the African Development Bank in Morocco. Leila was the Resident Representative of the Bank in Egypt from 2014 to 2017 and Regional Resident Representative in Dakar, Senegal from February 2010 to December 2013. In these capacities, she successfully led the Bank’s strategic engagements and partnerships as well as high-level dialogue and operations.

Prior to that, she occupied the position of Division Chief of financial institutions at the Bank’s Private sector Department where she designed innovative financial solutions for Africa including the African SME Guarantee Fund, AfDB trade finance Initiative and the women in business financing initiative. Leila managed multi billions Investment portfolio in over 35 African countries in private sector, infrastructure and financial services sector. Leila also served as Board member at the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and Advans Holding (microfinance). She is currently serving as Board member of the Afreximbank; Non-Executive Board Member at Banque du Caire, Egypt, since March 2021; and Non-Executive Board member at the Africa Adjustment Fund Corporation (HQ in Rwanda). Before Joining the Bank, Leila was long-term fiscal advisor to the IMF from August 1996 to December 1999. She started her career at the Ministry of Economy of Tunisia.

Leila holds a Diploma in Finance from L’Institut des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC) of Carthage, Tunisia and a master’s degree in international trade from The Institute of High-level Management (Institut Supérieur de Gestion), Tunisia.

Katja Rieger is the Founder and CEO of Women for Boards GCC, which works to bring more women into the Gulf region's top decision-making bodies as a measurable governance advantage.

After almost 20 years in corporate life, including roles at GE and Swiss Re, she founded consultancies focused on aligning strategy and culture, and has advised Aramco on board governance. She argues that the main barrier to women on boards is not competence but access to the networks through which board appointments are made.

Amel Makhlouf is an international senior expert in climate and climate finance from Tunisia, working with United Nations and European Union programmes, and President of Mediterranean Women Engineers (EAMC).

At the African Development Bank (AfDB) she was Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Climate Investment Funds, designing M&E strategies for clean technology, renewable energy, forestry and climate resilience programmes across Africa. She has also served as Senior Adviser for the MENA and Africa regions at R20 Regions of Climate Action, and is a member of the expert group of the UNFCCC Nairobi Work Programme on adaptation.

Nadia Abouayoub is a strategist and specialist in innovation for the financial sector. Her career began at J.P. Morgan, and she has since built more than 15 years of experience in investment banking across risk management, product control and technology in trading applications. She was Director of AI Mobilisation for BSI Regulatory Services and head of the global pricing platform at a commodity trading house, and has written articles on the impact of AI in the financial sector.

Passionate about education and knowledge, she is an advisor on the Strategic Advisory Board of the Cambridge University Library and the founder of AIFINAI, an educational platform. She is writing her first book on the education and impact of AI. She lectures on AI in Investment and Competitiveness to Master's students at the Geneva European Business School, and has lectured on the University of London's newly created MSc in Data Science.

She sits on the committee of the British Computer Society's Specialist Group on Artificial Intelligence (SGAI) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA). She is active in United Nations working groups on AI and organises the International Machine Intelligence Competition run by the SGAI, as well as workshops and lectures that educate the public about artificial intelligence. Nadia is sought after as an expert in AI innovation and digital strategies in the financial sector.

Géraldine Monchau-Richard has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, spanning discretionary portfolio management, investment product advisory, asset management and digital assets. She is Head of Business Development at Allnews, a Swiss financial media company.

She is Co-Founder of Women in Web3 Switzerland, a member of the Scientific Committee of the CAS in Blockchain & Finance at HEG Geneva, and an Advisory Board Member of the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She holds a Master's degree from IUHEI and the CAIA and CIIA-CFPI designations.

Dr. Nashwa Joy Saleh is an Independent Non-Executive Director of Bank of Ceylon UK Ltd. and United Bank for Africa UK Ltd., a Chartered Director, policy adviser, educator and published author. She was named to the Innovate Finance Women in Fintech Powerlist in 2022 and 2023.

She has more than 30 years of experience across emerging markets, with a focus on EMEA, in senior policy, equity, debt and capital markets roles, including mandates with USAID, the EBRD, the AfDB, the Central Bank of Egypt, S&P Global and KPMG Corporate Finance.

She is an Associate Professor of Fintech at Kingston Business School in London, an Ambassador of Global Women in AI, a mentor for the FCA's Supercharged and Digital Sandboxes, and a member of the CFA UK Ethics and Professionalism Working Group.

Fatima Al Arabi is a Saudi-Swiss entrepreneur and the Founder and CEO of ALAF Capital SA, a Swiss wealth management firm serving ultra-high-net-worth families, multi-family offices and institutional clients with personalised financial solutions.

Under her leadership ALAF Capital has built a distinctive position in the Swiss wealth management landscape. In 2024 she was named one of the 10 Most Influential Businesswomen Leading the Change by CIO Views Magazine.

Dr. Nahla Khaddage Boudiab is Chief Executive Officer and a Board Member of AM Bank in Lebanon, where she previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy General Manager.

A recognised expert in organisational culture and leadership, she is also Chairman and General Manager of Oneness Management and links organisational success to unlocking people's passion. In 2019 the World Union of Arab Bankers presented her with its Innovative Leadership Award.

Shaima Bin Hussain is a Kuwaiti strategic advisor and researcher whose work focuses on women's economic empowerment and leadership, entrepreneurship and governance. She has more than 23 years of experience across financial and banking services, wealth management, investment, business development and institutional advisory.

In 2021 she founded She Invest, a Kuwaiti company specialising in financial literacy and investment education for women, economic and management consulting, research, professional programmes and networking events. She writes a weekly column on financial literacy and investment for Al-Jarida newspaper.

Her research includes the Kuwait component of the American University of Beirut's Knowledge Is Power (KIP) Index and two studies on women's representation on the boards and in the executive leadership of companies listed on Boursa Kuwait.

She has served as Advisor to the Minister of State for Communications Affairs, to the National Assembly's Business Environment Improvement Committee and to the National Fund for Small and Medium Enterprise Development, and sits on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Finance and Governance. She previously chaired the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises of Kuwait, after serving as its General Secretary, was General Secretary of Soroptimist Kuwait, and was part of the Kuwaiti delegation representing Kuwaiti women in engagements with the European Union.

Her banking and investment career includes Gulf Bank, the National Bank of Kuwait, KAMCO Investment Company and Burgan Bank's Private Banking Group. She holds an MBA and is a Chartered Wealth Manager and Certified Credit Manager.

Christelle El Metni is Strategic Enablement Manager at EXANTE and a seasoned sales and client relations professional with a background spanning banking, wealth management and account management. Fluent in English, Arabic and French, she thrives in multilingual, multicultural environments.

During nearly a decade at BankMed she handled complex client needs, cross-sold financial products, led branch teams and represented the bank at exhibitions and international events. She began her career as a Personal Executive Banker at Al Mawarid Bank.

She holds an International MBA from USJ, Sorbonne Business School and Paris Dauphine PSL, and a bachelor's degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik. She is a Professional Certified Marketer (PCM), holds certifications in sales, project management, CRM systems and banking ethics, and is a member of 100 Women in Finance.

Manal Saleh is Managing Director and Client Relationship Officer at EFG Private Bank, the private banking arm of EFG International, based in Switzerland.

A senior private banker with close to two decades of experience serving clients from the Gulf region, she is a Certified Wealth Management Advisor (CWMA).

Huda Almousa is Group Sales Excellence Director at Jahez Group, with more than 13 years of leadership experience across fintech, digital payments, commercial strategy and business growth in Saudi Arabia.

Before joining Jahez Group she was Country President and General Manager of PayTabs Saudi Arabia, where she led the company's Saudi operations and played a key role in scaling its presence in the Kingdom. Her experience spans P&L leadership, payment ecosystems, regulatory engagement, strategic partnerships, market development and commercial transformation, working closely with regulators, Saudi Payments, financial institutions, government entities and enterprise partners.

Her career has progressed from customer experience and account management into business development and executive leadership. She was named Best Emerging Woman Leader in the Payment Industry in 2024 and has been recognised among leading business leaders in Saudi Arabia.

Wassila Hamdi Ben Amor is a seasoned banking executive with over 29 years of experience in international markets, specialising in syndication, forfaiting, trade finance and financial institutions management. She has led syndications, trade finance and financial institutions business lines, with a proven track record of driving business growth and expanding portfolios across the MENA region and Africa.

Recognised for her strategic leadership, compliance, negotiation skills and expertise in client relationships, she was the Founder & Chairperson of ITFA MENA in 2006 and served as Treasurer of the Tunisian American Alumni Network (TAAN). She is also the Founder and Chairperson of Tunisian Women in Banking and Finance. In 2008 she was named by the Financial Times magazine as one of the Top 20 Arab Women in Banking & Finance. Her extensive experience in capital markets has given her a vast network of contacts with financial institutions and allied professionals.

She holds a Master's Degree in Banking from the Institut Technique de Banque in Paris, a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Management for Bankers from the University of Wales, a Certificate in Leadership and Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and a Bachelor's Degree in Economics & International Relations from the University of Economics and Management in Tunisia.

Rima Kalai is Executive Director, Loan Syndication & Distribution at ATF Finance Limited and a Board Director of ATF Participation, where she also works on the firm's alternative investment impact fund.

She has two decades of experience in business development and trade finance across Africa, the Middle East and the UK, with deep expertise in African corporate finance, commercial and structured trade finance, and financial institutions.

She holds bachelor's degrees in Applied Sciences from McGill University and in Finance from the John Molson School of Business, and completed executive studies in Brand Management and Marketing Strategy at London Business School.

Mariam Sharbash is a London-based Executive Producer and Media Strategist working across the UK and Middle East, with a focus on policy, governance and strategic affairs. With nearly two decades of experience spanning Al Jazeera Media Network, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and European and Gulf think tanks, her work encompasses editorial strategy, geopolitical research, strategic dialogue and engagement with senior experts and policymakers.

She currently leads research and editorial development for Al-Raqib, a prominent Arabic-language podcast covering Gulf defence, security and geopolitical affairs, alongside her wider independent practice. Mariam has participated in international policy forums across the UK, Europe and the Gulf, and has spoken on issues including governance, regional security, media and soft power.

She holds an MA from the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS, University of London, and Executive Education in Public Policy Analysis from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Samta Lalan co-heads the Syndication and Distribution business at Nedbank CIB. She has led syndications for corporates, sovereigns and state-owned enterprises, as well as diversified funding for African borrowers, including Puma Energy, the Government of Tanzania, the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana Cocobod, AFC, TDB and the Bank of Industry.

Before joining Nedbank she ran the syndications desk at Rand Merchant Bank in London, leading transactions for the Governments of Kenya and Angola, Afreximbank, Puma Energy, AFC, Zenith Bank, KPC and KPLC, among others.

She has 18 years of international banking experience, including with Standard Chartered and IFC in China, India and Indonesia, and holds an MBA from London Business School.

Nancy Ghattas is an Executive Director at Julius Baer, advising clients across emerging markets with a focus on Turkey and the GCC. With over two decades of experience in finance and wealth management, she supports families, entrepreneurs and private clients in managing and growing their wealth, investment portfolios and businesses, as well as navigating relocation and restructuring.

Her career includes senior roles at Credit Suisse and UBS, and earlier audit experience at Bank Audi.

Nancy holds a Master of Law from Sorbonne University, an MBA from ESA Business School, a Diploma of Higher Management Studies from ESCP and a certificate in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford.

She serves on the boards of the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CASCI) and supports women's leadership initiatives as a speaker, moderator and mentor.

Dina Kaddouh is External Affairs Coordinator at the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) and Editor-in-Chief of Revue UBA. She leads institutional partnerships with international organizations, financial institutions and development partners, supporting regional initiatives in sustainable finance, women’s economic empowerment, SME development and capacity building.

She previously served as Director of UAB’s Maghreb Regional Office in Tunisia and Director of the Secretary General’s Office, following a career in banking at Fransabank. She holds an MA in Public Administration from the American University of Beirut.

Valentine Bugeja is Head of Business Development for the External Asset Managers (EAM) Desk at Syz Bank. With over 16 years of experience in asset and wealth management, she has built a strong track record in international sales, strategic partnerships and business development.

Before joining Syz Bank, she was International Sales Director for Switzerland at Liontrust Asset Management and Head of Sales Europe at Neptune Investment Management. She also held senior sales and strategy roles at M&G Investments.

Valentine holds a Master's degree from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, and Sciences Po Paris, and the Investment Management Certificate.

Amanda Pullinger is Chair of the AWIBFA 2027 Nomination Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Debbie's Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer. She was previously CEO of 100 Women in Finance, which she led from a few hundred members in New York to more than 30,000 members in 32 locations across five continents.

Earlier she was a principal of Aquamarine Capital Management, responsible for marketing, investor relations and operations for two private investment funds. She chairs the board of FlyPlymouth and has served on the boards of the HALO Trust (USA) and the Oxford University Alumni Board.

She holds an Honours degree in Modern History from Brasenose College, Oxford, and an MBA from La Salle University, Philadelphia.

Clarine Stenfert is Head of Sovereign Trade Finance at the OPEC Fund for International Development. She is an expert in structured finance in emerging markets, with 30 years of experience across Africa, Latin America and Asia.

Her previous roles include Global Trade Finance Head at the World Bank Group's Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), Managing Director and Global ECA Head for Infrastructure at J.P. Morgan, leading teams in London, New York and Singapore, and head of Citi's African trade finance business.

Durdona Kadirova is an FMO-nominated independent board member and a member and mentor of European Women on Boards, serving on the boards of KRK Kosovo, JSCB Universalbank and JSC Alliance Bank.

She has more than 30 years of international experience in banking, investment management, corporate governance and the development of financial institutions, working with international financial organisations, investment funds and banks across Europe, Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East. As an independent director and board committee chair, she brings expertise in strategy, business transformation, investment attraction and governance effectiveness.

Shahannah Abdoolakhan is an Independent Non-Executive Director and board committee chair with more than 23 years across regulated financial services. She serves on six current boards spanning a licensed commercial bank, insurance, listed entities, capital markets and investment funds.

She chairs the Board Risk Management Committee of MauBank and the Audit and Risk Committee of Eagle Insurance. At MauBank she also serves on the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the Board Procurement Committee and the Corporate Governance Committee.

A former regulator, international banker and MLRO, she is Founder and Group CEO of Abler Group, a governance, risk and compliance advisory firm operating across Mauritius, the UAE and other international financial centres. She holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and of the International Compliance Association (FICA).

Dr. Ghaneya Alderazi is a distinguished banking executive and corporate governance professional with over two decades of experience in the banking and financial services industry. Her expertise spans corporate and commercial banking, credit, financial institutions, syndicated lending, trade finance, regional banking and SME financing.

She currently serves as an Independent Board Member of the Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait (BBK) and Chairperson of its Audit and Compliance Committee, contributing to the Bank's strategic direction, corporate governance, financial oversight and regulatory compliance.

Previously, Dr. Alderazi held several senior leadership positions at the National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), culminating in her appointment as Assistant General Manager and Head of Commercial Banking and SMEs, a position she held until September 2018.

Beyond her banking career, she has pursued entrepreneurial ventures, establishing businesses in oil and petroleum products and in consultancy in the UAE and Bahrain, bringing a broader commercial and strategic perspective to her board responsibilities.

Rasha Badawi is Head of Private Banking and a member of the Executive Committee at Emirates Investment Bank, with more than 26 years of experience in the industry.

She was previously CEO of Barclays Private Bank UAE and Head of MENA at Barclays, which she joined in 2011. She has been named among Forbes Middle East's 100 Most Powerful Businesswomen.

Sherine El Sharkawy is a Board Member of 3ANUTA and Chair of its Audit & Governance Committee. She is a former First Deputy Minister of Finance for Economic Affairs of Egypt, where she oversaw sovereign guarantees and loans and negotiated with financial institutions and international counterparts.

At the Ministry she led Egypt's first combined Islamic and conventional loan, its second Islamic green loan and its Samurai bond issuance, and helped organise Finance Day at COP27. She has served on the boards of the Central Bank of Egypt and the Sovereign Fund of Egypt.

Earlier she held roles at Ahli United Bank of Egypt, Concord International Investments and Commercial International Bank, across corporate banking, direct investment, private equity and advisory. She holds a master's in Finance and Investment with distinction from the University of Exeter and a bachelor's in Economics from the American University in Cairo.

Karim Sghaier is President and a Founding Member of Le Régent International School, and a Founding Partner of Serendipity Capital.

Musaed Al Saleh has over 25 years of experience in management, finance and development projects. He was recently the SEO of KAMCO Investment Company (DIFC) Limited, an asset management company based in the Dubai International Financial Centre and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Commercial Bank of Kuwait, where he served on the Loans Committee for six years. He was a Fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, and was honoured by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader (YGL), for which he was recognised by the Emir of Kuwait.

He has an extensive background in both the private and non-profit sectors, having served on the boards of numerous international corporations and NGOs. His international banking experience began in Europe with First International Merchant Bank and Banque Baring Brothers. He is a Lifetime member of the Young Presidents' Organization (YPO) and a member of both the Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait chapters.

Shahnaz Sultana is a seasoned banking and risk executive with over 30 years of international financial experience. A former Country Chief and Senior Regional Risk Officer for Wells Fargo, she specializes in enterprise risk governance, AML compliance, regulatory strategy, and sustainable finance. Alongside her corporate leadership, she is the Founder Chairperson of the WE Global Women Foundation, championing diversity and leadership in the financial sector.

She is CEO and Chief Consultant of FINS Alliance Risk Advisory, Senior Advisor at Credence Data Hongkong, and former Independent Director and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee at Dhaka Stock Exchange PLC. Previously she was Senior Vice President and Country Chief at Wells Fargo Bangladesh and Senior Regional Risk Officer APAC, and Director of Financial Institutions at American Express Bank.

She is a recipient of the Wells Fargo Golden Spoke Chairman Award (2016) and the Global Citizen Award (2015), and holds a Master’s and a Bachelor’s in Finance & Banking from Dhaka University (First Class).

Mohamed Al Tajer is an enterprise transformation leader, chairman, board advisor, and corporate governance specialist.

As the Founder and Managing Partner of Taghyeer Consulting, he advises regional boards and executive leadership teams across the GCC on strategic transformation, boardroom effectiveness, and organizational design.

Over a 30-year executive career, Mohamed has held senior C-suite leadership roles across major international and regional institutions such as the National Bank of Kuwait, QNB, and Citigroup. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) and an industrial engineering alumnus of KFUPM, he co-authored two business books "Made with Tough Love" and "On Management".