Top international banker Jehaan appointed CEO of First Capital

First Capital Holdings Plc has announced the appointment of career banker Jehaan Ismail as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.  

Ismail, whose 28 years in banking has included several key international postings for HSBC, was Chief Operating Officer of HSBC Colombia S.A, based in Bogota, Colombia, in his final stint with the global banking giant.

Following his appointment as CEO of First Capital Holdings, he will also sit on the company’s main board, the announcement said.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers ( UK) and the holder of a BSc (Chemistry) Honours Degree from the University of Colombo, Ismail has served HSBC in varied capacities in locations as diverse as Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Colombia, gaining and imparting expertise in a variety of commercial and investment banking operations, including areas such as corporate banking, trade finance, personal financial services, securities and asset management, as well as support functions like general operations, compliance, risk management and training.

During his extensive service with HSBC, he  held the position of Chief Executive Officer at SABB Securities Limited in Saudi Arabia from 2008 to 2009, as well as that of Chief Operating Officer of HSBC Saudi Arabia from 2004 to 2008. Both these very successful HSBC Group companies were involved in investment banking and gave Jehaan an all round exposure to business in the capital markets.

“The appointment of Jehaan Ismail as CEO reflects the aspirations of the company to consolidate and expand its operations as a fully fledged investment bank,” First Capital Holdings Chairman Lalith de Mel said. “His extensive experience in commercial and investment banking will be immensely valuable to the Group as it looks for new opportunities and avenues for growth,” he added.

First Capital Holdings PLC is a leading financial solutions provider in Sri Lanka, with an extensive product offering ranging from investments in treasury bills and bonds to margin trading, wealth management and corporate debt.

The Board of Directors of First Capital Holdings PLC comprises of Lalith de Mel (Chairman), Eardley Perera, Nihara Rodrigo , Minette Perera, Nishan Fernando, Manjula Mathews, Dinesh Schaffter, and Jehaan Ismail.