Mr. Ali Al Mani – General Manager
Mr. Ali Al Mani is the General Manager of Alizz Islamic Bank and he is a seasoned banker with extensive industry knowledge armed with more than two decades of experience in the banking and financial industry across the Sultanate of Oman
As an award winning banker he is renowned for having expert knowledge of both conventional and Islamic Banking, notably Corporate, Retail, Operations, Finance, Project Management and Banking Technology.
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank, Al Mani was the Deputy CEO of National Finance Company overseeing the performance of one of the largest finance companies in Oman and before that he was the Head of Retail Banking, Bank Nizwa as Head of Sales, and National Bank of Oman as Head of Alternative Distributions.
Al Mani, is responsible for creating business opportunities through finance and banking products and service excellence, improved client-experience, sustainable business performance, sustainable cost reductions, process improvements and innovative solutions, alongside other responsibilities remitted by the Board of Directors of the Bank.
He has a proven track record of success in delivering turnaround performances in highly competitive and challenging environments, with strong leadership skills and thorough knowledge of both Retail and Islamic Banking
Mr. Ali has a Master of Science in Innovation, Leadership and Management from the University of York in the United Kingdom; He also holds a Bachelors of Arts with Honours in Computer and Internet Application from the University of Bedfordshire in the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Mohamed Al Balushi – DGM - Chief Human Resources Officer
Mr. Mohamed Al Balushi started his career as AGM - Head of Human Resources at Alizz Islamic Bank in September 2013, joined from Bank Dhofar, where he had served for more than 20 years, as Assistant General Manager (AGM) Head - Human Resources & Learning and Development, a position he had held since 2006. Parallel to his career in the banking industry, Mohamed was also a part time lecturer at the College of Banking and Financial Studies. Mr. Al Balushi adds an exceptional range of HR and Banking skills, expertise honed through a successful banking career in Oman. His banking experience of over two and half decades covers the subject areas of matured leadership, HR strategic planning, performance management, career development, recruitment along with manpower planning. With such rich and valuable experience, he is an invaluable asset to Alizz Islamic Bank. Mr. Al Balushi's carried out successfully the responsibilities of secretary to the Board HR Committee at Bank Dhofar, and AIB along with several other executive management committees, (HR Management Committee, Disciplinary Committee, Grievance Committee and Staff Rewards and Recognition Committee to mention a few) as well as College Academic Advisory Committee at the CBFS and was also appointed as Secretary to HR Committee of Oman Banking Association (OBA).
Mr. Al Balushi holds a postgraduate Certificate in Human Resource Development and Performance Management from the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, an Advanced Human Resource Executive Certificate- University of Michigan, Ross School of Business, USA, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) from Bradfield, UK. Further, he holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom. He also holds a number of professional qualifications and accreditations in the field of HR and banking including Associate of Canadian Institute of Bankers (ACIB)
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Mr. Muhammad Nadeem Aslam - DGM - Chief of Wholesale Business & Key Initiatives
Mr. Muhammad Nadeem Aslam is Chief of Wholesale Business & Key Initiatives of Alizz Islamic Bank. He is a chartered accountant turned banker who offers a blend of professional experience along with distinguished accomplishments during his 20 years of banking and finance career.
Before this, Muhammad Nadeem was associated with the largest local financial institutions in Oman, Bank Muscat Meethaq, in the capacity of AGM – Corporate & Wholesale Banking. He was responsible for whole Islamic Banking Business including Corporate Banking & SME, Treasury and Investment Banking. Before this, he was head of Islamic banking at bankmuscat, Meethaq where he was founder head of Islamic banking where he established from scratches the largest Islamic banking window of Oman having balance sheet over USD 3 billion.
Previously, he has worked at Islamic financial services group (IFSG) of E&Y, Karachi and Islamic banking division of Soneri Bank, Pakistan at various positions before switching from his initial career role as chartered accountant.
He demonstrates excellent competencies in the area of strategic planning and execution, people management, produce development, project and credit analysis, digital transformation, data mining and financial modelling. He has proven track-record of Islamic Banking leadership and pioneering role in its introduction in Oman since the inception.
Mohammad Nadeem holds chartered accountancy from ACCA, UK and a Bachelorship in applied Accounting from Oxford Brooks University. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in Islamic banking.
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Mr. Asaad Hilal Al Kharusi – AGM – Chief Operating Officer
Mr Asaad Al Kharusi is the Chief Operating Officer of Alizz Islamic Bank and a seasoned banker with over 16 years of experience in Islamic Banking. Prior to his current role as the Chief Operating Officer at Alizz Islamic Bank he was the Acting Chief Operating Officer and Head of Strategy & Transformation of the bank. Preceding that he held the position of Associate Vice President & Head of Islamic Products at Sohar Islamic Bank following several Senior level roles at Meethaq Islamic Banking and Bank Muscat across multiple divisions such as Product Development, Management & Operations.
Al Kharusi is renowned for his ability to master product development, process design & re-engineering while his expertise also extends to marketing, and enhancing customer experience and engagement. He has played key roles in all the organisations that he has worked for.
Asaad holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from Sultan Qaboos University, and a Master’s of Science in Islamic Banking & Finance from Bangor University, UK. He is also the winner of the NTI BizPro Award for Oman’s ‘Young Business Leaders and Super Achievers’ for 2018.
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Mr. Mohammed Juma Al Ghassani – AGM – Acting Chief Consumer Banking Officer
Mohammed Juma Al Ghassani is the AGM – Acting Chief Consumer Banking Officer of Alizz Islamic Bank and he is responsible for spearheading the bank’s retail banking and wealth management division’s in-line with the bank’s continuous drive to deliver excellence. He joined Alizz Islamic Bank in April 2013 and was part of the core founding team of the Bank which was tasked with developing the framework for the launch of the organisation.
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank he was part of the management team that launched the first Islamic Banking window in the Sultanate, Meethaq Islamic Banking. He played a key role in developing the operation manuals, SOPs and preparing the customer journey. He then served as the first branch manager of an Islamic Banking entity in Oman.
Al Ghassani, is a seasoned banking professional with over 25 years’ experience in the banking and financial sector and he started his career working in Bank Muscat.
Mohammed holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Bedfordshire University College and is a Certified Islamic Finance professional.
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Mr. Retesh Vatrana - Chief Internal Audit
Retesh Vatrana is the Chief Internal Audit of Alizz Islamic Bank. Internal Audit forms the ‘Third Line of Defense’ under the Bank’s risk management model maintaining its independent status by operating under the direction and guidance of the Board Audit Committee and reporting directly to the Audit Committee Chairperson. Retesh is responsible for the primary purpose of the Internal Audit activity, which is to assist management and the Board of Directors of the Bank to discharge their responsibilities and accomplish the objectives of the Bank by bringing a systematic, disciplined approach to evaluate and improve effectiveness of risk management, control, and governance processes. It does this by assessing risks, controls, ethics, quality, economy and efficiency.
Prior to his appointment with the Bank, Retesh was Partner, Audit and Financial Advisory with Mazars for Consultancy and Audit in Oman and prior to joining Mazars in Oman, he was with Ernst & Young in Oman for over 16 years and worked as Director in Assurance Services with Ernst & Young LLC, Oman and was also Deputy EY Middle East North Africa Financial Accounting Advisory Services Quality and Risk Management Leader.
He has over 20 years of experience in the audit and financial accounting advisory services and brings a wealth of experience to the role, having worked in all areas of banking operations through his time in as an auditor and is also renowned for his ability to identify and assess fresh strategic alternatives and supporting innovation and new business models, developing and delivering agile strategy, driving sustained long-term growth by inspiring and leading the way with strong purpose and ethics, and supporting digital to develop focused, high-quality, data driven insights. He leads with a commitment to the highest level of quality as well as with integrity, independence, accountability and a social conscience.
He is a Chartered Accountant (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and secured all India twenty third position in all India CA Final Examinations Merit List and thirty first position in all India CA Intermediate Examination Merit List. He is also a Certified Information Systems Auditor from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association and holds a Bachelor of Laws, Professional (LL.B) from Panjab University, India and a Bachelor of Commerce with Honors from Panjab University, India.
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Mr. Faisal Zakaria - Chief Financial Officer
Faisal Zakaria is the Chief Financial Officer of Alizz Islamic Bank responsible for all financial affairs and was part of the core founding team of the Bank which was tasked with development of policies, procedures and he plays a key role in setting the strategy for the Bank to achieve superior and sustainable long-term financial results.
Mr Zakaria comes with extensive experience in the financial services industry across the region including Emirates Islamic Bank and Emirates NBD.
He sits on various Management Level Committees of Alizz Islamic Bank including, Deputy Chairman of the Asset Liabilities Committee, Member of the Management Investment Committee , Member of the Management Credit Committee, Member the IT Advisory Committee and member of the Tender Committee.
Mr Zakaria is a Certified Islamic Professional Accountant (CIPA) from the Accounting & Auditing Organization of Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) and a FCA Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan.
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Mr. Syed Abdul Razak - Chief Risk Officer
Syed Abdul Razak is the Chief Risk Officer of Alizz Islamic Bank and is a Senior Risk Management executive professional with a career spanning over 23 years of experience in Banking, Non Banking Financial Companies and Accountancy; he has held several key management positions throughout his illustrious professional journey.
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank, Mr. Abdul Razak worked at BankIslami Pakistan Ltd, a leading Islamic Financial Institution in the capacity of Chief Risk Officer and has also worked with several large financial institutions in Pakistan with his roles including Group Head Corporate & Investment Banking, Chief Risk Officer, Head of Credits, Corporate Credit Head & Risk Policy Head. He is a certified Director from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan. He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors (BoD) of a leading Takaful Company and sat on the board of First Punjab Modaraba & several other companies.
Mr Abdul Razak is is a Keynote Speaker and a seasoned trainer having exposure of conducting training sessions at various forums , on the topics of Risk Management, Credit Assessment, NPL management other banking related subjects.
He is a qualified Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, having completed articles training from PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
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Mr. Ali Al Zadjali AGM - Chief Compliance Officer
Mr. Ali Al Zadjali is the AGM – Chief Compliance Officer of Alizz Islamic Bank. Al Zadjali’s responsibilities include developing the in-house capabilities and to ensure delivery of an effective compliance function and culture across the various levels of the bank's operations including the Board.
Al Zadjali has over 15 years of extensive knowledge and experience in the banking and non-banking industries. Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank, Al Zadjali was the Head of Central Bank of Oman Compliance at the National Bank of Oman. He was involved in the development of the compliance framework and establishment of a compliance culture within the organisation. Al Zadjali also worked for the Central Bank of Oman as a Bank Examiner where he evaluated and reported on the soundness of various financial institutions. He also worked at Petroleum Development Oman as a Senior Financial Accountant.
Besides being a long standing executive with significant contributions in governance, application of international standards, compliance and a wealth of experience in banking operations and business, Al Zadjali holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting and MIS from the University of Missouri, St. Louis, USA, and a Master’s in Business Administration from Franklin University, USA. He is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).
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Mr. Mustafa Mohammed Al Lawati – AGM – Head of Investment Banking & Project Financing
Mr. Mustafa Mohammed Al Lawati – AGM – Head of Investment Banking & Project Financing of Alizz Islamic Bank. He joined Alizz Islamic Bank in December 2014 and he has extensive experience of over 15 years of working in the banking industry.
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank he was the Head of Project Finance and Syndications at the National Bank of Oman and he was responsible for working on a mandated business and income budget to source, initiate and complete large project financing transactions in various fields such as: Power, Water, Waste water, Oil & Gas, Tourism, Real Estate development & Infrastructure.
Some of the major transactions AL Lawati was involved in during his career included the financial advisory and fund arranger for a Large Oil Refinery project in Sohar, Financial advisory and & mandated lead arranger for Large Aluminum rolling mill project in Sohar, Joint Lead Manager for Ministry of Finance Inaugural USD Sukuk, Financial advisor of a large Conventional Center - Package Two in Muscat and Financing syndication transactions of a large Independent power and water plant in Salalah and a large Aluminum Company in Sohar.
Al Lawati, started his career working in the treasury department of National Bank of Oman and directed all treasury activities including foreign exchange, assets and liabilities management, money markets, derivatives. He also led department initiatives to develop consistent and integrated department policies and procedures manuals. Post his treasury Al Lawati moved on to corporate banking department where he handled principal government related entities and major Omani group companies relationship management.
Mustafa is a fulbright scholar and holds an MBA with distinction from Cleveland State University. He also holds an Executive MBA in Leadership & Management from Cambridge University and a Graduate of University of Missouri St. Louis, where he achieved a BSc with Honors in Business Administration in Finance and Accounting.
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Mr. Khalid Abdullah Mohammed Al Obaidani – AGM - Head of Business Banking
Khalid Abdullah Mohammed Al Obaidani is the AGM Head of Business Banking at Alizz Islamic Bank. He joined Alizz Islamic Bank in June 2020 and is a seasoned banker with more than 24 years of experience and is renowned for his proven leadership skills, coupled with his focus on continuous improvement and exemplary performance, whilst continuing to offer innovative products and quality customer service
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank, he was the Head of Corporate & SME Banking of Al Yusr Islamic Banking. Al Obaidani comes with extensive experience in the financial services industry in Oman and is an expert in financial analysis and structuring funded and non-fund credit lines.
Al Obaidani, started his career working in the National Bank of Oman moving later to Bank Muscat where he was a leader in corporate banking initiatives to increase the corporate portfolio with expertise to deliver sustainable growth.
Khalid holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Finance from the College of Commerce & Economics at Sultan Qaboos University. He also holds several certifications in management and credit from notable organizations.
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Ms. Lina Al Abdulsalaam – Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications
Lina Al Abdulsalaam is the Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications of Alizz Islamic Bank with extensive experience of over 17 years of leading and transforming marketing efforts in various industries.
Prior to joining Alizz Islamic Bank she was the Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications at National Finance and was responsible for establishing the entire Marketing & Corporate Communications department including implementing a dynamic strategic plan to increase revenue, brand recognition and penetrate new markets. Also, responsible of the rebranding and positioning of National Finance as the leading company in Oman within its respective industry.
Some of the major projects Al Abdulsalaam was involved in during her career include leading and overseeing the rebranding projects and the Marketing and Communications of major leading brands in the country, this includes Al Mouj Muscat, Bank Nizwa and National Bank of Oman supporting the company’s visions to become preeminent brands in Oman within their respective sectors.
Lina holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing Management from the University of Akron, Ohio (USA) and was listed on the Dean’s List. She is also a Certified Product Manager, Certified Financial Marketer and Certified Product Marketing Manager by the American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM). Additionally, she is Certified in Leadership and Management - ILM level from The City and Guilds of London Institute through New Metrics LLC. Al Abdulsalaam is also the winner of the Al Mara’ Excellence Award for Marketing & Sales - 2015.
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Mr. Issa bin Salim Al Riyami – Head of Shari’a Audit & Compliance
Mr. Issa bin Salim Al Riyami heads the Shari'a Audit and Compliance Department at Alizz Islamic Bank, with a direct report to the Sharia Supervisory Board. He ensures compliance and consistency of the bank's transactions, operations, investments and activities with the Fatwas and resolutions issued by Sharia Supervisory Board and with the Shari'a standards and principles.
A veteran with over 18 years’ experience where he worked in the government sector for 11 years in the Ministry of Justice and the Administrative Affairs Council of the Judiciary. He then moved to work in the Islamic banking sector in the Meethaq Islamic Banking window of Bank Muscat in 2013 as the Head of the Shari’a Audit Unit and then the Head of the Shari’a Compliance Unit
Al Riyami also oversees the Islamic Banking educational campaigns conducted by Alizz Islamic Bank, both internally and externally; and raise awareness about Islamic banking and its products, in order to assist the public to choose products that fall in line with their requirements, with complete transparency.
Al Riyami is a Certified Shari'a Advisor and Auditor by the Accounting and Auditing Organisation for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOFI). In addition, he holds a Bachelors’ Degree in Islamic Law from the College of Shari’a and Law (currently the College of Law). He is also the first Omani to hold the position of Head of Shari’a Audit and Compliance in a full-fledged Islamic bank after fulfilling the requirements of the regulatory framework for Islamic banks by the Central Bank of Oman.
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