Testimonials - International Finance Awards

Testimonial

Every year, International Finance awards the industry’s best, who feel proud, happy and elated to have won top honours for the work they and their companies do. The award is a manifestation of their hard work, perseverance, dedication, commitment and innovation at work, and what better way than to have the industry experts acknowledge these efforts and reward individuals or companies. Read on to find out what our award winners have to say upon winning International Finance Awards.

“I am extremely delighted and honored to receive the “Best CFO – Customs” award from the International Finance Awards in recognition of my leadership as Finance Director.

This award motivates me to work harder and enforces me to continue providing exceptional services to achieve the vision of Dubai Customs. I promise to serve our Organization and country to accomplish its objectives and fulfil the dreams of our leaders”.

MOHAMMAD AL HASHMI

CFO, Dubai Customs

“We are truly honored to be awarded among the top banks and showcase the world-class capabilities of EON’s neo banking platform.

We will continue to build on this as we represent the Philippines in the digital banking space.”

PAOLO EUGENIO J. BALTAO

Senior Vice President, Head of EON Banking Group, Union Bank of the Philippines

“The recognition of the Best Socially Responsible Bank 2018 is a very important award for Banco FINCA.

It represents we are accomplishing our mission for improving the lives of our customers thorough out supporting them in the growth of their business. It represents a recognition to our contribution to society that allows us to continue supporting the development of microentrepreneurs (currently 60% women) .This award makes us more responsible in our future actions to maintain this legacy.”

EC. IVÁN TOBAR CEVALLOS

CEO, Banco FINCA Ecuador

“we are delighted to be recognized as the Fastest Growing Investment Bank in Nigeria. Our successes and achievements over the years is a reflection of the hard work and commitment of our Staff,

Management and Board in ensuring we maintain our core values of integrity,innovation and excellence in service delivery”. He further stated that, “This award affirms that we are on course to achieving our long-term goal of becoming Africa’s premier investment bank”

ABU JIMOH

Group Managing Director/CEO, Coronation Merchant Bank

“The Most Innovative Community Developer award accorded to Vista Land by the International Finance Awards affirms our position as one of the leading integrated property developers in the Philippines

through our COMMUNICITY model which aims to provide Filipinos with homes surrounded by modern lifestyle features including retail complexes, leisure amenities, offices centers, school campuses, and places of remembrance and worship. Recognitions like this are the propulsion the Company needs to continue innovating and improving the property landscape of the Philippines with an ultimate goal of building a future worth living.”

MANUEL PAOLO A. VILLAR

CEO, Vista Land & Lifescapes, Inc.

Boston Advisory Limited is honoured to be awarded the Fastest Growing Boutique Investment Banking Firm in Nigeria.

We are proud to have contributed largely to the development of the capital market through various landmark transactions. Our successes and setbacks have moulded us to not giving up and working towards becoming Nigeria’s Investment Bank of choice. With this ingrained in our mind, we are constantly evolving to improve our service offerings and ensuring value creation to our clients. This award demonstrates our partners and clients confidence in Boston Advisory story!

KAYODE FALASINNU

CEO, Boston Advisory Limited

We are honoured to accept our award for Best Cashflow Lender SME – Australia 2018, which recognises the pride we take in funding the growth of thousands of businesses across Australia and New Zealand.

As Australasia’s largest specialist provider of working capital solutions, our drive is to help business owners achieve their goals without the need for real estate security. This award will further spur us to enhance our finance facilities, and our team is more motivated than ever to deliver innovative solutions and the best possible service to our clients and referral partners.

PETER LANGHAM

CEO, Scottish Pacific Business Finance Pty Ltd

“ We in Mobilityone are honored to have received the award for ‘Most Innovative E-Payment Solution’ by IFM, as this award is a testament to the Quality of services Mobilityone has to offer.

As Payment Solution Specialists,MobilityOne is deeply appreciative that our services are internationally acknowledged by associates as we further bid to provide a consistent solution for markets across South East Asia.This recognition is also a testament to the efforts of our team in delivering an outstanding production of our seamless E-Payment Solution.”

DATO HUSSIAN A. RAHMAN

CEO, MobilityOne Sdn Bhd

“The award of “Global National FDI Program 2018” from a prestigious institution such as IFM is a great honor for the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund.

It is a testament by the international investment community that we are true to our values; notably acting as the conduit for FDI in Greece through a robust, transparent and non-discriminatory asset development programme. We are determined to continue serving the country, local societies, the investment community in the most efficient manner possible, to ensure that any investment in the Hellenic Republic is successful for all stakeholders. Once more I would like to thank all parties involved for their trust in us.”

RICCARDO LAMBIRIS

CEO HRADF, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund

“RCBC Bankard is very pleased to have won in the Best Credit Card Category. With the RCBC Bankard Diamond Platinum Mastercard,

we have developed a card that’s beneficial both to the cardholders as well as the community. It has a built-in rewards program that provides Rewards Points to the cardholders while also having a built-in donation platform whereby for every P100 spend, a donation of P0.20 is given to Gawad Kalinga’s Kusina ng Kalinga. As a Platinum card, the RCBC Bankard Diamond Platinum Mastercard provides exceptional privileges to cardholders including world-class travel benefits, free budgeting tools, and a flexible rewards program whereby cardholders can redeem points, airmiles, or cash rebates. On the other hand, what makes this card extraordinary is the fact that while cardholders spend, they also support a worthwhile cause and help provide goodwill and hope to underprivileged Filipino children.”

SIMON JAVIER A. CALASANZ

RCBC Bankard Services President & CEO, RCBC Bank

“The recognition from International Finance validates IRIS’ tradition of thinking and acting differently in the health insurance space.

IRIS took a significant risk to develop and launch our proprietary technology platform EzyClaim, and that has led to rich dividends in improved efficiency, transparency and innovations in claims processing and adjudication.

This award will spur our team to deliver more innovation and superlative service to the clients and communities we serve. As a younger company, we are delighted to be singled out alongside industry veterans from across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”

ANIL NAIR

CEO, IRIS Health Services LLC

“Fubon Guardians Co-brand Card adheres to the motto of “Customer-oriented Service”. Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank made a fantastic debut in 2018 with the first ever baseball theme branch, Fubon Guardians Branch, in Taiwan.

This unique marketing strategy targets the niche market and has resulted in a high media exposure. Therefore, the number of card issued has soared to more than 150,000 in 6 months with a high per card spending as well as high customer satisfaction.At Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, we keep devoting ourselves to bringing our customers convenient lifestyle and establishing a stronger connection with the community.”

ROMAN CHEN

President, Taipei Fubon Bank

“We are delighted to win IFM’s prestigious award which is a living testament to the success of our banking strategy that focuses on driving digitization in the financial industry as a whole,

and a reflection of our commitment to providing streamlined financial solutions a superior experience in order to simplify the lives of our customers. Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) has recently launched a number of innovative offerings and continually aims to enhance its services in order to offer a unique portfolio of Sharia’a compliant banking products and services to its customers.”

HASSAN JARRAR

CEO, Bahrain Islamic Bank

” We are extremely delighted and honored to be awarded as ” Most Innovative Asset Management Company in Thailand “.

Despite we are the top player in pension fund business, we are also active player in mutual funds especially in developing new mutual fund products to serve investment needs of our HNW and retail clients. The success is belong to our team. This will inspire us to continue to be innovative in developing new products and investment strategies with good performance for our clients.”

PAVINEE ONGVASITH

CEO, Tisco Asset Management

“It is a matter of immense pride that CBD has won the “Most Innovative Digital Bank – UAE ” award at the 2018 International Finance Awards.

This recognition for CBD’s digital capabilities is a validation of the significant investments made by the Bank in digital technology and innovation as the bank continues to set new standards for customer service. Digital technology remains a key enabler for the Bank’s customer-centric approach. We have designed CBD’s Digital Banking platform using the best practices and latest technologies to offer customers state-of-the-art banking solutions to help manage their finances and achieve their financial goals.”

Dr. BERND VAN LINDER

CEO, Commercial Bank of Dubai

“We are truly honoured and delighted to have won the International Finance award for ‘Fastest Growing Remittance Service Provider UAE 2017’.

This award symbolises our growth as an organisation. Our keen inclination towards innovation and betterment of services led us towards this achievement. The exchange has grown significantly in size and stature since its establishment in 2005. These awards are a true testament that hard work, ambition and good service can make a young exchange a leader in the industry in a short span. There is still a lot left to achieve. We believe and we firmly hope that this is just the beginning and there is much more in store for us in the future”

MUKESH HIMATLAL

General Manager, GCC Exchange

“We want our customers to enjoy the internet. Whether it’s our amazing high-speed network, innovative and affordable data products and services

or our fantastic award winning digital first customer experience, our customers drive our vision. We prize the relationship we have with our customers, putting them at the heart of everything we do. We believe that while people may come to us for our market leading products and services, they also stay with us because of the relationship we build with them. For Ooredoo, customers’ needs and expectations are central to our values and we hope that although we begin our journey with them as a service provider, we quickly become a valued friend.”

IAN DENCH

CEO, Ooredoo

“We are very honoured and proud to receive the award for Best Retail Bank in Vietnam 2017 from International Finance magazine.

This award indicates that we are on the right path. We are committed to try our best to be a pioneer in bringing better products & services to our customers in the future”

HUYNH BUU QUANG

CEO, Maritime Bank

Nirvana Travel &Tourism is proud to be chosen as this year’s “Best Luxury Tour Operator” by the International Finance Award.

To be acknowledged by such a highly esteemed organization that celebrates excellence and champions key industry performers is such a tremendous honor.Our every triumph is a testament to Nirvana Travel & Tourism’s culture of excellence, service and reliability—the hallmarks of our operations. But more than that, these awards and recognitions inspire us to dream bigger and reach higher. As the most trusted multi-awarded luxury tour operator in the UAE, we constantly deliver best in class, carefully crafted, highly personalized and unique experiences to our valued roster of clients. From over-the-top exclusive tours to more culturally in-depth journeys to once-in-a-lifetime voyages of discovery, we pride ourselves in having first-hand knowledge, a dedicated staff with the right experience, unparalleled attention to detail, and incredible resources to deliver and even surpass client expectations time and again. Today, Nirvana Travel & Tourism stands as head and shoulders above the competition because we always find new paths to explore and new grounds to conquer. We’re always unlocking new doors… always setting our sights on the next destination.

CEO's Message

Nirvana Travel and Tourism

“We are pleased & proud to receive this Award from this magazine, which is a highly respected and reputed publication

that is well-recognized in the world’s banking industry. Winning this Award is testimony of the Bank management’s positive policies and fruitful plans for the development of performance and enhancement of the Bank’s status on the regional and global levels. This will certainly strengthen the Bank’s position and leadership in the Islamic banking scene in Bahrain and in the regional level given that Islamic banking has become well established worldwide. Winning such a prestigious international award makes us more responsible in the future to maintain this outstanding level of service and operations. This achievement is an impetus for us to make more effort to develop Islamic banking services and products in our bank to meet the needs and requirements of our customers.

MOHAMMED AHMED HASSAN

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Bahrain Islamic Bank

“Our presence represents a major achievement in recognition of our leading role in the health insurance sector

and our efforts to cater to the demands of our customers in the Kingdom through the past 20 years. Winning these awards is a strong incentive for us to give more to our members and investors. We give special attention to our investors inside and outside the Kingdom which helped increase our portfolio of stakeholders

TAL NAZER

CEO, Bupa Arabia

We exceed our customers’ expectations through excellence at work. We reap success through our efforts to change for the better.

Success in management is reflected through respecting and supporting our employees in addition to improving their skills and rewarding excellence. In our beloved country, we strengthen our relationship with our customers through offering the best services to Iraqis. Our core principle is to work in the spirit of a one team with a focus on an outcome based on responsibility, integrity, and success.

FAISAL AL HAIMUS

CEO, Trade Bank of Iraq

All of us at DIB are extremely proud of what we have achieved together over the recent past.

And it is not just the incredible growth story that the organization has witnessed that instills this sense of pride, but the fact that it has done so in extremely trying and challenging times. The bank’s continued financial success and the ability to sustain growth two to three times that of the market over the last few years is proof of the fact that the efforts put into solidifying the franchise nearly a decade ago were not in vain. Today, we are an organization which is not guided by the environmental constraints or barriers. We are dictated by the needs and wants of our customers and our own aspirations. And this single minded focus on these two critical pillars has led to the bank delivering the market beating performance that continues to earn awards and accolades from local and international organizations.

DR. ADNAN CHILWAN

GROUP CEO, DUBAI ISLAMIC BANK

Bin Faqeeh has successfully established itself as a leading real estate developer in the region.

We are focusing our efforts to create a bright future for the real estate market in Bahrain by merging global best practices and our expertise. This award is a testimony of our success in delivering state-of-the-art residential projects. We are very proud to be honoured by IFM as the “Best Residential Developer 2017 in Bahrain”. This is an international recognition of our efforts and achievements.

FAISAL FAQEEH

CHAIRMAN, Bin Faqeeh

“We are proud to receive this award, which is a recognition of our commitment and efforts to build a truly customer-centric bank.

We place strong emphasis on innovation, quality customer service and continuous process improvement which has resulted in steady, organic growth across the Bank. We will continue to partner with our customers to support their personal and business ambitions and ensure we provide them with customer-driven solutions and exceptional, fit-for-purpose banking services always.”

CARLOS WANDERLEY

HEAD OF RETAIL BANKING, UNION BANK OF NIGERIA

KFH Malaysia is delighted and honoured to be named the Best Islamic Retail Banking Product for Malaysia by the International Finance Awards 2017.

The award is a testament to theBank’s efforts, not just to be the leading and preferred regional Islamic Bank, but, to advance the country’s aspiration in becoming the global hub for Islamic banking. Our aim is to provide our customers a SIMPLER – BETTER – FASTER experience by delivering innovative Shariah-based solutions that meet our customers’ needs for today and tomorrow. We owe this award to KFH Malaysia’s greatest asset – our people. I can personally testify the passion, commitment and above all, the care shown for our customers are essential ingredients for this acclaimed success. This will no doubt fuel KFH Malaysia to work harder in our endeavor to deliver banking and financial solutions for our customers and set industry-leading standards in the banking sector.

DAVID POWER

CEO, KFH MALAYSIA

“We are delighted to be recognised as the Best CFD Trading Broker Australasia for the second successive year.

This award evidences our dedication to maintaining the highest standard of customer service and our commitment to the provision of cutting edge trading technology. City Index continues to evolve our offering to meet the needs and demands of the market place and strives to make our customers’ trading experience the best in the market.”

Ben Smoker

Chief Operating Officer, City Index Australia

“Getting the title of Best Islamic Bank from the International Finance Magazine in London (IFM) is an honor for us, and something that we are very proud of.

This honor comes as a result of the excellence of Tadhamon International Islamic Bank in several areas, especially its leadership in assets size, capital, and its contributions to the community in supporting the national economy and financing large and small projects. In addition to that, the bank has continued in providing excellent Islamic banking services to its customers. I would like to give my thanks and appreciation to everyone who has contributed to grant the bank this level of leadership, and I also want to extend my thanks to the International Finance Magazine (IFM).

Mahmoud Ata Al Refai

General Manager, Tadhamon International Islamic Bank

“Receiving this award is testament to the commitment and collaboration that ICD continues to pursue in its ongoing quest to mobilize resources, add real economic value and encourage, enhance and elevate private sector partnership across its member countries.

In line with our new strategy, ICD is now not only focusing on deepening and strengthening operations across co-partner countries but expanding our focus outwards to collaborate with a wider range of non-member and non-Muslim jurisdictions in order to support the spread and significance of Islamic finance globally. With multiple new agreements signed with cohorts as diverse as Korea and Japan; as well as our ongoing commitment to programs in Africa and the CIS region bearing plentiful fruit, we are proud to receive this IFM award for Excellence in Development of the Islamic Private Sector at a time when our wings are spreading wider, and our mission for financial inclusion and Islamic economic development is flying higher than ever”

Khaled Al Aboodi

CEO, Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector

“It is with great pleasure that we receive such an award.

This award represents the effort and dedication the Angolan team has put in order to guarantee what is today a successful organisation with motivated employees and satisfied clients.”

Pedro Pinto Coelho

CEO, Standard Bank Angola

“We are honoured to be recognized as the ‘Fastest Growing Bank in Qatar’ which stands as yet another testament to Barwa Bank’s dedication to excellence, growth,

and to building an innovative and customer-focused Shari’ah-compliant bank that can lead the way in this growing sector”

Khalid Al- Subeai

Acting Group CEO, Barwa Bank - Qatar

“Sudan is a fertile environment for innovation and creativity on Retail Banking as in general banking penetration doesn’t exceed 20% leaving immense potential and room for opportunity to offer many products and services.

Bank of Khartoum since privatization in 2006 had differentiated its market position to explore the retail market by introducing various products and service that had never been introduced. Lately, BOK had launched the first ever mobile payment service in Sudan which is planned to captured a larger market and open new ventures for introducing new products and services. It is due to our successful deployment of Islamic products and services, we have been honored by IFM and awarded as “Most Innovative Islamic Bank Africa”.

Fadi Salim Al Faqih

CEO, Bank of Khartoum - Sudan

“We are honored to be recognized by such a well-respected publication as IFM. This award is a testament to our commitment to the clients we serve, our management team and all of our employees.

As we continue to offer our customers a unique service, supported by our construction of a next-generation platform, ATG continues its mission to find opportunities arising from the development of electronic trading in the Latin American market.”

Francisco Gurgel

Chief Technology Officer of ATG, America Trading Group

“We are delighted to have won this great award after a lot of hard work to create the best social trading site in the world.

With TradingFloor.com, we wanted to take social trading to a totally new level with the unique ability to witness in real time how the best investors create their returns alongside the ability to copy their every move in your own account. We have seen a spectacular uptake, both in traffic and in traders, linking their real money trading account to the community of successful investors. We are now focused on taking the position as the leading global social trading platform in the world – we do not believe there can be a number two or three in this space.”

Rune Bech

Head of Digital Lines of Business, Saxo Bank

“We are delighted to receive this award in recognition of our offered customer services in European markets.

This award reinforces us to continue providing exceptional services and motivates us to ac<span class=”morecontent”>hieve even greater performance” Artur Mamedov, CEO of Tele Trade Europe.”

Artur Mamedov

CEO, TeleTrade Europe

“We have always strived to create more and more opportunities for our customers whose needs are being continuously learned and incorporated into business processes.

Constant product refinements and developments by VF AzerCredit contribute to the improvement of the welfare of micro entrepreneurs and self-employed people in Azerbaijan and have brought innovations to the microfinance sector in the country. And we are very excited to know that these achievements of ours have also been recognized with the Best Microfinance Company Azerbaijan 2013 Award by International Financial Magazine, UK.”

Ljiljana Spasojevic

CEO, VF AzerCredit- Azerbaijan

DarshanPerera, Chief Executive Officer of NDBIB, on being adjudged as “Best Investment Bank” in Sri Lanka by International Finance Magazine,UK, said

“We are deeply honoured and delighted to have received this award in recognition of our leadership in the capital markets of Sri Lanka. This award emboldens us to continue in our quest to achieve excellence in our sphere of operation”.

DarshanPerera

Chief Executive Officer, NDB Investment Bank – Sri Lanka

“We are delighted to receive such a prestigious award just before year-end as we look forward towards a promising New Year in the growth cycle of the banking sector in Oman thanks to the wise and prudent government support in the development of various sectors in the Sultanate.

Oman Arab Bank’s Investment Management Group has acted as an able partner on this front by structuring deals, both equity and debt, from local and regional markets to support the development of Oman. For close to three decades Oman Arab Bank has played a pivotal role in infrastructure development and industrialization in the Sultanate by financing some of the largest and key projects in Oman. This award is also testament to the bank’s emphasis on strong corporate governance”

Abdul Kader Askalan

Chief Executive Officer, Oman Arab Bank SAOC - Oman

“CaixaBI was a strong contributor for the recovery of the Portuguese economy as we played a very significant role in the boosting of the so needed capital markets, both equity and debt.

The operations we lead were landmarks considering that the Portuguese equity capital market was desert for the last five years. It is then a great pleasure to see that CaixaBI´s performance in 2013 was noted by International Finance Magazine´s analysts whose echoes surely help the international perception about the leading player in the Portuguese investment banking industry.”

António Gregório

Managing Director, Caixa - Banco de Investimento - Portugal

Adjudicated the “Best Commercial Bank, Qatar, 2013”, CEO the Doha Bank Group CEO, Dr. R Seetharaman, said, “Doha Bank is honoured to be recognized with this award from a reputed magazine like IFM,

which is testament to the continuous hard work of the Bank’s staff and executive management in fulfilling the strategic vision of the Board of Directors and the needs of its customers. Doha Bank has over the years strived to exemplify the highest level of customer service while also focusing on innovation in delivering financial services to its esteemed customers. Today, in addition to Qatar, Doha Bank has full-fledged branches in Kuwait, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, supported by nine international representative offices. Doha Bank is truly positioned as a multinational GCC-based bank with stakeholders across the region and internationally.”

R Seetharaman

Bank Group CEO, Doha Bank – Qatar

On behalf of Sejel Technology, I am deeply honored to receive the award “Best Turnkey Solution Provider in Saudi Arabia 2015” from the International Finance Magazine.

This award is a valuable recognition for everyone who helped our company become a strategic IT Services Provider in the public and private sector in Saudi Arabia today.

Ahmed Ghamri

CEO, Sejel Technology Ltd – Saudi Arabia

My clinic prides itself with its prestigious team of affiliated physicians and clinical staff who cater to the needs of patients, comprised of 97% of skilled and qualified Saudis, with Well experienced consultants with Western Board Certifications.

We aim to provide high-quality services to our customers from the moment they set foot into the center. These services include a free Valet Parking service; reducing waiting time to doctors’ appointment; and providing all types of administrative services required by patients at one stop shop reception desk across all floors”.

FEHR NAZER

CEO, My Clinic

“We are truly honored and humbled to receive 2 awards from the International Finance Awards – Philippines 2018 as Best Loan and Mortgage Product for Smart Personal Loan w/ Double Coverage, and Most Innovative Wealth Management Bank for Power Saver Account.

These awards are testament to PNB Savings Bank’s steadfast commitment to empower its customers with banking innovations that will help improve their finances, reach their dreams and promote their overall wellness. The Bank’s coming integration with our parent bank, Philippine National Bank (PNB) will further accelerate its digital transformation and innovation plan alongside aggressively growing our Consumer Business. As we become one with PNB, we hope to bring more banking innovations to streamline processes to support its customers and more importantly to make these innovations readily accessible to all Filipinos, including the unbanked.”

MARY ANN SANTOS

Acting President, PNB Savings Bank

We are honored to receive this prestigious award from International Finance Magazine as the Best Mortgage Bank in Nigeria 2018.

As a national mortgage Bank offering mortgage, real estate finance and financial advisory services, this is a testament to TrustBond’s resilience in supporting people to gain stability through home ownership, thus, ensuring they have a tangible stake in the country’s development and future.
This award is a testament to the hardwork and dedication of the TrustBond team.

ADENIYI AKINLUSI

MD/CEO, TrustBond Mortgage Bank Plc

“I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to International Finance for awarding us in “Most Innovative Shopping Mall – EmQuartier – Thailand 2018”

At the EM District we ensure to provide seamless shopping to all our customers. To them, the time spent at our mall goes beyond just shopping—indulging in a new experience is important every time they visit.”

MANATASE ANNAWAT

Deputy Managing Director of the EM District, The Mall Group

Krungsri Securities Public Company Limited (Thai), member of MUFG’s global network (one of the largest financial institutions in the world) is a leading Thai financial services company providing brokerage services.

As an organization we are well aware of the rapidly changing digital landscape and its impact on customer experience. With that in mind, Digital Development has become Krungsri Group’s core vision. We closely monitor and adapt our technology to new trends, with the aim to improve customer experience by focusing on convenience, investment support, speed and execution.
Some of these initiatives include trade execution over the mobile, comprehensive and timely delivery of investment information, clean presentation and easy navigation of customer’s current and past investment data.

UDOMKARN UDOMSAB

Managing Director, Krungsri Securities Public Company Limited

We are honored that TA Investment Management Berhad has been recognized as the “Most Innovative Islamic Unit Trust Fund – Malaysia”,

which is a recognition of our commitment and effort in offering an innovative Islamic investment solution to our customers.Being a customer-focused company, we are committed to drive innovation and revitalize our business planning activities for long term success. We strive for innovation in every product we design for our customers to stay competitive in the industry.By expanding our range of Islamic unit trust funds, we believe that this initiative will meet the constantly evolving demands of our customers and increase the penetration rate in Islamic investment portfolios.

WONG MIEN

CEO, TA Investment Management Berhad

We are proud to receive the award of “Best SME Leasing and Financing Company in Saudi Arabia” from International Finance.

This award is a testament of Saudi ORIX Leasing Company commitment towards the development of SME Sector in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in line with VISION 2030.

BADER ALSWAILEM

CEO, Saudi ORIX Leasing Company

“Valyou is making an impact by being relevant and our customers are in the heart of everything we do. The award is a testament of our aim to revolutionize

and digitize financial services as well as promote financial inclusion in Malaysia and in the region through digital technology, for the underbanked communities. Our innovation came in line with Bank Negara Malaysia’s drive toward digitalization, positioning Malaysia at the forefront of promoting digital technology.”

PRASANNA RAO

CEO Valyou Malaysia, Valyou Sdn Bhd

“It was a great honour for us to witness CCAvenue UAE declared the ‘Fastest Growing Online Payment Service Provider’ at the International Finance Awards.

This accolade is a recognition of our pivotal role as the digital payment facilitator for a plethora of eCommerce websites in the Emirates. We constantly focus on providing our merchants with significant value additions as well as access to the latest payment technologies like the UnionPay and Samsung Pay options. This award will further motivate us to offer web merchants in the U.A.E. even more best-in-class products and services backed by cutting-edge technology.”

ARUN JEEVARAJ

Head of Business Development & Operations, Avenues World FZ – LLC

Recognition of our longstanding position as the leading asset managers in the Kingdom and acknowledgment of the quality of our complete range of product offerings through this prestigious award is an honor for us” commented Khaled AlBraikan,

Head of Asset Management of NCB Capital. “The award is a reflection of our dedicated focus on our clients’ needs and our constant delivery of superior risk-adjusted returns. This reaffirms our confidence in the qualification, experience and world-class expertise of our asset management team. 2018 has been a year of important milestones for NCB Capital and this award is a strong acknowledgement of our commitment that NCB Capital clients receive the best financial advisory services and execution capabilities. NCB Capital is a standard-setter in the Kingdom when it comes to sound financial advice, diligent investment process and timely execution”.

KHALED ALBRAIKAN

Head of Asset Management, NCB Capital

“I do believe Small & Medium Enterprise and Agricultural sector played a vital role in achieving the recognition of Bangladesh as Developing State. From the establishment of the bank, The Premier Bank Limited is working for the socioeconomic development of Bangladesh.

Considering the employment generation & poverty alleviation development of SME sector was considered more seriously in the development plan of Bangladesh Government Since 2010. From the establishment of the bank, The Premier Bank Limited is working for the socioeconomic development of the Bangladesh. To build a Poverty-free Bangladesh & more Employment Generation Premier Bank emphasized on development of SME sector by providing credit facility to the SME sector. Premier Bank, gradually increased SME loan distribution from 2016; the bank has already distributed 35% of the total credit portfolio in SME sector. According to the Premier Bank business plan, 60% of the total credit portfolio will be distributed in SME sector by 2021. Bank is standing beside the educated and self-employed youths of the villages to generate more SME business, mainly focusing on manufacturing and service industries. Accordingly, Premier Bank is going to be established as a SME Friendly Bank by providing loans to the SME sector.”

Freedom Fighter, Dr. H.B.M. IQBAL

Honorable Chairman , Board of Directors, The Premier Bank Limited

“Siraj is always committed to bring in new ways of productivity based on customized client requirements, leading to even higher levels of client satisfaction and results.

This award shows our efforts have paid off and we will strive to bring in more products that will suit each of our associates.”

MOHAMED RUSAN FYROZE

General Manager, Siraj Finance

“We are honoured and proud to receive the award from International Finance Magazine. It is a recognition of our efforts and commitment to be “ the ports for all people”.

COSCO SHIPPING Ports has adopted “The Ports for ALL” as its mission and is working towards building a global terminal network with controlling stake that offers linkage effects on costs, services and synergies, a synergistic platform that offers mutual benefits to all in the shipping industry, connecting global routes and becoming truly “the ports for all people”.
With the synergies we have with our parent company and the ongoing support from the shipping alliances, I firmly believe that COSCO SHIPPING Ports is well positioned to continue to deliver growth with this unique competitive advantage.
COSCO SHIPPING Ports remains steadfastly committed to building a world-class and well-balanced terminal network to meet the needs of shipping alliances with extended services; we will continue to grow our capacity and invest strategically to build “The Ports for ALL”.

ZHANG WEI

Vice Chairman and Managing Director, COSCO SHIPPING Ports Limited

“We are honored that Megaworld has been recognized as the “Best Real Estate Development Company.”Our continued strong performance

has always been anchored on our commitment to deliver the very best real estate value to our customers. Awards like these motivate us to constantly innovate in our industry, improve the property landscape in the Philippines, and elevate the experiences of Filipinos through our master-planned townships”

Dr. ANDREW L. TAN

CEO, Megaworld Corporation

“Tenger Insurance is still considered the Best insurance company in Mongolia by many, especially due to our best in class risk management practices,

reinsurancereliability and claims efficiency proven by a large scale fire loss recovery of a major national manufacturer. Continued low loss ratio and low acquisition cost resulted in improved combined ratio of 92.3%, making Tenger Insurance the most profitable insurer in 2017.Forecasted growth in retail segment due to online sales platform and tailored product development would differentiate Tenger Insurance on the local market in the upcoming year. We are glad to be recognized by the International Finance Magazine as the best in Mongolia once again.”

OYBEK NOSIROVICH KHALILOV

CEO, Tenger Insurance

“I take great pride in sharing Ahli United Bank’s recent awards bestowed by the International Finance Magazine,the world-class banking and finance magazine.

First of all, I am delighted that my esteemed colleague Ms Jehad Al Humaidhi has been selected as – “Woman Entrepreneur of The Year, IT-Banking & Finance – Kuwait 2017”. This award honours female professional executives who have enriched the IT & Operations of the Banking sector. Secondly, it is equally my pleasure to announce that our capital raising via an Additional Tier 1 USD 200 million Sukuk, issued on 25 October 2016, has won the award for “Sukuk Deal of the year – Kuwait “.

ABDULLA M. ALSUMAIT

Deputy Chief General Manager, Ahli United Bank

“We have always been dedicated to driving innovation, achieving service excellence, and helping our clients reach their financial goals.

We constantly strive to deliver a seamless investment experience across our delivery channels and provide a full array of investment options to our broad and varied customer base. We are most grateful to the 2017 International Finance Awards for recognizing these achievements and naming BPI Asset Management and Trust Corporation as Best Manager in the Philippines.”

MARIO T. MIRANDA

President, BPI Asset Management and Trust Corporation

The International Finance Magazine (IFM) Awards accorded to the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) for “The Fastest Growing Free Trade

Zone 2017 and Best Social Responsibility Initiative 2017 Philippines” affirm our position as a most active partner of government in advancing its socio-economic agenda. These awards, which come on the eve of SBMA’s 25th year anniversary, inspire us not only to celebrate our past but more importantly, to forge our country’s future for the sake of our children and future generations by continuing to make a difference and adding value to Filipino lives.It is indeed both an honor and a privilege to be counted among IFM’s roster of excellence.

ATTY. WILMA T. EISMA

Administrator and CEO, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority

“As a credit specialist Funds Manager, operating in the Asia Pacific region for over 60 years,

La Trobe Financial are proud that our unique services are now globally recognised by our peers, as we continue to produce outstanding performance results for both our institutional and retail investors. This continued recognition is thanks to the extraordinary efforts of a fine team of dedicated and experienced individual’s combined with our ‘best in class’ capital stable, yield oriented investment product with a track record of success”

GREG O’NEIL

President and CEO, La Trobe Financial Asset Management Limited

It is a great honour to have received the “Most Innovative Bank in Portugal in 2017” award this year. I believe in permanent learning, innovation and focus to be successful.

BNI Europa has a very motivated team and with this team effort, we have been able to grow fast and be a reference in the new wave of Challenger Banks.

PEDRO PINTO COELHO

CEO, BNI Europa

I am truly overwhelmed and honored to receive this prestigious award from International Finance Magazine as the Best Non-Life Insurance Company of Bangladesh.

This is an amazing feeling to see all our hard work and endeavor being recognized once again not just locally but also internationally. Green Delta has always been the pioneer in bringing out new innovative products and services addressing the local, community and national issues over the past 32 years. Achieving this international award has added another feather to the crown and strengthened our brand image. This could not have been possible without the excellent team spirit that we have among our members of Green Delta Family.

FARZANA CHOWDHURY

MD AND CEO, GREEN DELTA INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED

At Cytonn, we focus on giving the best returns to the investors through attractive investment opportunities in the East African region.

We do this through high yielding and most innovative real estate and financial services investments products. Being recognized by International Finance Magazine as the Best Alternative Investment Provider in Kenya is a testament to our belief that structured finance is the way forward for real estate finance and investments; connecting capital with attractive opportunities, creating jobs, developing aspirational neighborhoods and improving standards of living in the Region.

EDWIN H DANDE

Cytonn Investment Management Limited

We, at Profinch Solutions, are delighted to receive this prestigious IFM award for “Most Innovative Business Intelligence Application Development, India 2017” in the business intelligence space for our product FinCluez.

FinCluez was conceptualized from a combination of our past experience in the banking and financial services industry and our insight into areas that need competent solutions. We are happy that the industry, though this award, shares our excitement with this solution in this technological space, and this inspires us to continue and better our efforts in making a widely-appreciated solution for the industry.

ASKARAN SINGH BHOGAL

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR , PROFINCH SOLUTIONS

“We are truly honoured and delighted to have won the International Finance award for ‘Fastest Growing Property Investment Firm Malaysia 2017’.

In line with the national agenda to create and facilitate wealth creation opportunities for the Bumiputeras, PHB will continue to enhance and facilitate Bumiputera’s ownership particularly in prime commercial real estate in major cities and ensuring our portfolio will remain up-to-date by actively managing a dynamic mix of properties in prime area in Malaysia.”

DATUK KAMALUL ARIFIN OTHMAN

GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR/CEO, PELABURAN HARTANAH BERHAD

“Mediolanum’s business has been developed with a clear focus on putting client needs at the core of everything we do.

The evolution of our open networked business model where we leverage technology and an external network of industry collaborators to supplement internal expertise has been instrumental in expanding our capability to deliver both core and incremental client focussed innovations into the business. Innovations include the development of our knowledge platform to discover and promote ideation for MedInSynC our product development process as well as Med3 our investment management process and also include the development of innovative customer centric analytic tools leveraging big data. These awards for ‘Most Innovative Investment Management Company’ and ‘Best Asset Management Company’ in Ireland are a welcome recognition of the hard work of everyone involved within Mediolanum Asset Management.”

Furio Pietribiasi

Managing Director, Mediolanum Asset Management Ltd

“I am very excited that JSC “Capital bank” became a winner in International Finance Magazine “Best Re-Engineering and Re-Branding Bank” nomination.

During these past few months the bank has indeed undergone a lot of changes. Herewith I would like to thank all of my colleagues who participated in this process. I believe that winning in this nomination along with all the work that was performed will be encouraging and motivating for our staff, what will be positively reflected in relations with partners and customers. This success is a remarkable achievement for me personally and also for the team. I would like to thank International Finance Magazine for such opportunity”.

Lasha Khoperia

CEO, JSC Capital Bank Georgia

“I am truly overwhelmed and honored to receive this prestigious award from International Finance Magazine as the Best Non-Life Insurance Company of Bangladesh.

This is an amazing feeling to see all our hard work and endeavor being recognized once again not just locally but also internationally. Green Delta has always been the pioneer in bringing out new innovative products and services addressing the local, community and national issues over the past 28 years. Achieving this international award has added another feather to the crown and strengthened our brand image. This could not have been possible without the excellent team spirit that we have among our members of Green Delta Family. Our motto- ‘Marches with time’ is what keeps us motivated to break barriers and achieve greater success.

Farzana Chowdhury

Managing Director and CEO, Green Delta Insurance Company Limited

“We are truly honoured and excited to be recognised as the ‘Best Life Insurance Provider in Mauritius 2014’ and to receive this prestigious award from the International Financial Magazine (IFM), UK.

We are pleased that our efforts to provide the best life insurance products and services to the Mauritian population have been recognised. It comes at a propitious moment when we are soon launching a subsidiary operation in Botswana which pursues our expansion strategy into Africa to bring protection, wealth, reward and peace of mind to other countries. We thank our customers and all our stakeholders for putting their trust in us. Thank you to IFM for recognising BAI amongst the best.”

Rishi Sookdawoor

CEO, BAI Co (Mtius) Ltd – Mauritius

“After being awarded in 2013 and 2014 as Best Internet Banking in Mozambique by Global Finance and being elected one of the most innovative banks in Africa,

being awarded once more as Best Internet Bank by another well-known and respected international magazine make us very proud of what we are and what we have achieved in such a short time frame. We entered the market in 2011 with a very innovative and distinctive positioning and a new way of doing banking. By then we were the 18th bank entering the Mozambican market, bringing a totally innovative and distinctive positioning and new way of doing banking, and less than 3 years after we are already the 6th biggest bank operating in Mozambique.”

João Figueiredo

Head of Marketing, Banco Unico

“Extremely delighted and proud with the recognition. We are known to be the market leader in Sudan and we are honored to be recognized with this award of “Best Islamic Retail Bank Africa” from reputedmagazine like IFM.

This award is a reflection of our commitment and extra ordinary performance of Retail banking in Sudan as we launched Retail banking only in 2006 when Dubai Islamic Bank took over as major shareholder and we are known in Sudan to be the market leader, offering full suite of Islamic retail products and services. We are the largest bank in the country with over 2 billion dollar balance sheet and have the largest branch network, largest ATM network, largest customer base, largest deposit base etc. We just launched first ever mobile money in Sudan and looking forward to capture large unbanked population in Sudan which will also help the economy of the country by bring the money in the banking channel. This award is complement to our achievements and we are proud to receipt such accolade and getting the recognition at international level.”

Kashif Naeem

EVP & Group Head , Retail, SME & Microfinance , Bank of Khartoum - Sudan

“It is pleasing to note that, yet another British based entity, viz., the International Finance Magazine, has also selected Senaratne Insurance Brokers, as the “Best Insurance Broker, Sri Lanka 2014”.

The receipt of this award, once again, tends to epitomize the valuable contribution made by Senaratne Insurance Brokers to the insurance industry in Sri Lanka, on the four corner stones embedded in our culture of integrity, innovation, technology and good governance, playing a dominant role in this field. A highly experienced staff, continue to provide expert advice on risk transfer solutions, by way of suitable insurance, to a wide cross section of the community, largely in the corporate sector. International recognition of this nature, certainly helps the Company to move forward with added confidence.”

Nihal Senaratne

Chairman, Senaratne Insurance Brokers (PVT) LTD - Srilanka

For us it is a great honor to be awarded the Best Forex Bank in Eastern Europe. We have been working hard to become one of the best FOREX brokers in the Russian Federation and the CIS countries.

According to the market statistics observers during the last five year we have gained reputation as the most reliable and efficient FOREX broker in Russia. Moreover, we managed to go beyond the borders in the pursuit of excellence in Europe and other regions. For example we are quite successful in Israel. We are positioning ourselves as the only one purely banking FOREX broker in Russian Federation. We work closely together with one of the leading Russian banks Alfa Bank which provides liquidity support for our operations. We are very proud that clients trust us, and this is the best reward we could ever have. Unfortunately, Forex market was harmed by many unscrupulous brokers and our primary goal now is to restore confidence in the FOREX market in general. We undertake numerous educational programs in this field and also support inexperienced traders with basic fundamental and technical analysis. For experienced traders we prepare more sophisticated support packages, i.e. trading signals or even 24-hour real-time customer support. Why banking FOREX is so important for restoring confidence in the FOREX market in Russia? First of all, we wanted to give our clients direct access to the global interbank market. Under these conditions they could trade without additional fees. Minimum spreads is another advantage for our customers. Not to mention the instant money withdrawal. Access to the best banking services makes the whole process comfortable and dynamic. Alfa-Forex is a part of the Alfa banking conglomerate and this makes it easier for clients to perform operations. We are working constantly on the development of our products while giving investors multiple accesses to the market. We are pioneering new trading technologies in Russia. Our dealing service is one of the best in this sphere. We are constantly introducing new products, not only a variety of CFD’s but also analytical and other trading support tools. We have been among the first companies on the market to implement the new trading platform MT 5. We are also offering our clients an access to different markets, not only to FOREX. We know that this award will encourage us to keep on our dynamics and further perfect our service.”

Sergey Kharinov

CEO, Alfa-Forex

“Asia Pacific is probably the most dynamic growing region of the World, which encompasses very different countries – from advanced Japan and Singapore to Indonesia and Malaysia, which can be called developing countries, but developing with a very high tempo.

This is definitely a region of opportunities and among many opportunities, Forex is really popular among the people of APAC region. And I can’t be happier, that in this extremely competitive market the traders still choose Instaforex, as it was proved by this IFM award. We feel very honoured with this award and will do anything possible to keep the tempo and increase the level of excellence to retain this award next year.”

Dmitry Savchenko

Vice president, InstaForex

“We are delighted tobe selected as the Best Facilities Management Company in Qatar by the IFM, UK.

MMG has a long-standing reputation for quality and excellence,and this award pays tribute to the hard work and dedication of the entire team in Qatar.”

Youssef Abillama

CEO, MMG – Qatar

“We are extremely excited about this award. FXCM is proud to offer what we believe is a superior trading product, experience and execution over our competitors in the US.”

Drew Niv

CEO, FXCM

Bank Islam is truly pleased to be recognized as the Most Innovative Islamic Bank in Malaysia for the year 2013, by International Financial Magazine, UK.

The achievement is an important milestone for the Bank and another step in the right direction for us to become a major regional player. Winning the award proves our long-held belief that innovation is the key to the Bank’s sustainability and its rising relevance in the industry. It is also a reflection of our ‘Pioneering Change’ spirit as we seek to differentiate ourselves within the increasingly competitive Islamic Banking industry, and for that I must thank the Bank’s entire workforce for their efforts in making this happen.

Mr. Dato‘ SriZukr Samad

Managing Director, Bank Islam

“Personally, being presented the award for ‘Outstanding contribution to banking by an individual’ is certainly a privilege, especially at this significant juncturein my life, where I am all set to bring to an illustrious career to an end.

Therefore, it is with much gratitude, that I accept this award. As an employee, you serve an organization, not with the hope of winning accolades or being recognized individually, but by giving life to your innermost passions and serve a multitude of people with skills-sets and knowledge you continue to gather over the years; However, when your efforts are rewarded with an accolade, it bears testament to the fact that you have managed to touch upon many domains of a business and industry, and for that I’m truly grateful.”

Russel De Mel

CEO, National Development Bank - Sri Lanka

Steve Troop, CEO, Barwa Bank, in a brief statement said,, “We are honoured to be acknowledged by IFM Financial Awards, Qatar 2013.

This award is a reflection of our commitment to growth and sustained efforts in building an innovative and customer focused Shari’ah compliant bank that can lead the way in this growing sector. The bank has grown significantly in size and stature since its establishment in 2008.These awards are a true testament, that hard work, ambition and good service can make a young bank, a leader in the industry, in a short span. We’ve a lot to celebrate this year and we intend on maintaining this momentum as we go forward in the future.”

Steve Troop

CEO, Barwa Bank – Qatar

BFA is honoured to have received the International Finance Magazine for Best Corporate Bank Angola 2015 “. This award is a recognition to the work we have been developing in the last 22 years. Receiv…

Emídio Pinheiro

CEO, Banco De Fomento - Angola

We are honoured to receive these International Finance Magazine Awards, especially for ‘Best Private Bank Qatar 2015’, as it serves to recognise that ibq is the private bank of choice in Qatar. We h…

Jabra Ghandour

Managing Director, International Bank of Qatar (ibq)

We are pleased and honored to receive this award, a new recognition for our efforts over the last twenty years to turn Goldstar Insurance into the best insurance company in Uganda. We are very proud …

Azim Tharani

Managing Director, Goldstar Insurance Co Ltd - Uganda