Three candidates shortlisted for Bank of Punjab’s president slot

ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has shortlisted the candidates against the vacant position of Bank of Punjab (BoP) president.

Sources said that former National Bank of Pakistan senior executive vice-president Koser Iqbal Malik, BoP Investment and Wholesale Banking (South) Group Head Mustafa Hamdani and Silk Bank Executive Director Talha Saeed are the frontrunners for the top slot.

A three-member committee, including Punjab chief secretary and finance secretary, would interview the shortlisted candidates, sources added.

The position of president BoP fell vacant on December 31, 2018, after the resignation of Naeemud Din.

BoP has posted a before-tax profit of Rs14 billion for the first three quarters of 2018, as against Rs11 billion earned during the corresponding period of last year. As on September 30, 2018, total deposits of the bank stood at Rs568.3 billion. The bank has been assigned long-term entity rating of AA by the Pakistan Credit Rating Agency (PACRA) with short-term being at highest rank of A1+.

Kausar Iqbal Malik, a Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA) from Institute for Internal Controls, USA, has varied experience of over 37 years in the field of banking, financial investigations, defaults and recoveries. Malik has recently retired from the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) as senior executive vice president. Graduated from Punjab University, Malik also holds a degree in law and Masters in Business Administration. He started his professional career in the banking industry with Habib Bank Limited in 1981 and has served in senior positions in National Bank of Oman, Bank of Credit and Commerce International Ltd in Yemen and African Banking Corporation Ltd in Nairobi. Currently, Malik is associated with Silk Bank as Head of Corporate Affairs.

Meanwhile, Mustafa Hamdani is currently heading the Investment and Wholesale Banking (South) in BoP. Hamdani did his MBA from Institute of Business Administration with majors in finance. He started his career from Deutsche Bank Pakistan where he was sales manager for Global Cash Management department. He has also worked in Faysal Bank in various capacities including Islamic banking, cash management, treasury and capital markets and was awarded chairman’s reward for his outstanding performance in 2006.

Moreover, Talha Ahmed Saeed is presently serving as executive director/group head of retail banking at Silk Bank, looking after branch banking, consumer assets and small and medium enterprises businesses. He was also a member of the senior management committee in Standard Chartered Bank.