Amana Bank announces Imtiaz Iqbal as COO

• Ajmal Naleer joins M. Pharis Jazeel and M.M.S. Quvylidh as Senior VP

Amana Bank has appointed versatile banker Imtiaz Iqbal as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).

Having joined Amana Bank in 2018, Imtiaz Iqbal served as its VP – Operations taking over the responsibilities of Operations, Branches, SME Banking and Administration. With his appointment as COO, Imtiaz Iqbal will also oversee the HR, Legal and IT functions of the Bank.  

Imtiaz possesses a strong career track record in banking, which commenced in HSBC Sri Lanka where he gathered valuable experience in both business and risk aspects by overseeing many areas such as Credit Risk Management, Operational Risk, Financial Crime Risk Management, Collection and Recoveries and Card Operations, while being exposed to overseas assignments and training. He culminated his illustrious career at HSBC as the Chief Operating Officer – Retail Banking and Wealth Management while also being a member of the Bank’s Management Committee from 2013 to 2016. Imtiaz holds an MBA from the University of Wales – UK as well as a professional qualification from the Institute of Bankers Sri Lanka.

The bank also announced the promotion of its Chief Compliance Officer Ajmal Naleer to the position of Senior Vice President. Ajmal Naleer joined Amana Bank in 2013 as its Vice President – Credit before taking up the role of Chief Risk Officer and then later Chief Compliance Officer. A veteran banker with 40 years of experience, Ajmal started his banking career at HNB in 1982 and subsequently moved to UAE in 1989 where he worked at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Emirates NBD Bank. During his 18-year span in UAE, Ajmal was exposed primarily to the areas of Bank Management, Risk Management, Credit and Special Assets Management, Credit Control, and Relationship Management. 

In 2006, he joined the Sri Lanka office of MCB Bank, where he functioned as the Head of Credit and Risk Management. Ajmal possesses strong Credit and Risk Assessment skills with a proven track record in Credit Portfolio Management. He is an Associate of the Institute of Bankers – Sri Lanka and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers – UK.

With this appointment, Ajmal joins existing Senior Vice Presidents M.M.Q. Quvylidh (Chief Risk Officer) and M. Pharis Jazeel (Senior VP – Treasury and Financial Institutions) as part of the Bank’s Management Committee.

Commenting on the new appointments the bank’s Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Azmeer said: “I am delighted to have these four versatile and well-versed bankers taking up greater responsibilities in leading Amana Bank towards its next growth phase. Over the years, they have showcased and established a strong track record of performance and leadership.”