UAE-based Mashreq Bank has appointed Alexander Raiff as its new group head of technology, transformation, and information, the bank announced on Friday.
Alexander is a seasoned technology professional with over 30 years of experience; noteworthy is his role as chief information officer in Abu Dhabi commercial bank from 2012 to 2020. More recently, he has been an advisor & angel investor for digital banking, fintech/regtech & crypto asset platforms. Alexander was also associated with Daimler Financial Services and Mercedes Benz from 2003 to 2012 as CIO across their Offices in Europe, China and Japan.
The appointment comes as the bank gears up for a fully digital future, with just 10 physical branches currently operating in the UAE. Two years ago, there were 34 branches.
“It is a great honor to join Mashreq and to be given the opportunity to meet the demands of the new transformed economy post Covid, to help shape a new kind of financial services and develop a strategy for collaboration across Mashreq, its many stakeholders – and the wider digital ecosystem. This is an incredibly exciting time for Mashreq and me as a professional, and I look forward to joining the Mashreq team as we realize the manifold opportunities inherent within the digital economy,” Raiff said.
Mashreq has recently announced it will offer retail customers a chance to subscribe to its upcoming initial public offering (IPO) on Dubai Financial Market (DFM). The bank has also invested in fintechs as it undergoes its digital transformation.
“Alexander joins Mashreq at a crucial moment as we lead the evolution of digital finance and the wider digital economy through the innovation and deployment of truly transformational platforms and solutions. I am delighted to be able to bring a senior leader of such caliber to this critical role, and I very much look forward to working with Alexander as we harness tomorrow’s technologies to shape the future of finance,” Ahmed Abdelaal, group CEO of Mashreq said.
