Managing Director – Regional Business — Digital Bank

The mandate

An institutionally backed digital bank operates across several countries without one commercial and operating owner. Markets use different acquisition economics, service arrangements and risk exceptions, while group product teams pursue shared scale. Deposit growth has increased the stakes: some balances are durable, others are promotion-sensitive, and the cost of local variation is poorly understood.

The Managing Director – Regional Business will steward approximately AED 54,400 million in loans and deposits and lead around 1,425 employees and material partners. Scope includes country P&Ls, customer propositions, distribution, balance-sheet growth, operations, platform priorities, risk acceptance, partnerships, people and regulators. The executive answers to the Group Chief Executive and board.

The regional baseline must reveal market economics on comparable terms. Customer acquisition, balances, pricing, funding, credit loss, service, technology, compliance and local infrastructure should reconcile. The Managing Director will separate structural market difference from weak execution and prevent local plans selecting assumptions that conceal dependence on group subsidy.

Deposit strategy will reflect behaviour. Transactional balances, savings and rate-led funds have different liquidity and retention value. Product, treasury and country teams need joined scenarios showing customer cohorts, rate sensitivity, withdrawal patterns and service experience. Growth incentives should reward relationship quality rather than gross balances at a reporting date.

The portfolio will be deliberately uneven. Markets with strong customer demand and regulatory readiness may receive capital; others may need partnership, narrower propositions or exit. Every expansion needs entry gates, loss limits, platform readiness and a decision date. Country pride and sunk investment cannot replace evidence.

Shared products and platforms should create scale without erasing legitimate difference. Local variants need regulatory, language or customer proof, an accountable owner and whole-life cost. The appointee will stop customisation that fragments data or operations and equally challenge a central standard that cannot meet local obligations.

Customer and regulator continuity is central. Proposition changes, pricing and market exits require transparent communication, fair alternatives and controlled migration. Regulators should see how group decisions remain locally accountable. Serious issues must reach the regional forum before they become surprises.

Leadership consistency will not mean identical structures. Country heads require clear authority for clients, people and risk within regional limits. Product and platform executives need reciprocal accountabilities. The Managing Director will assess leaders against enterprise contribution, not only local revenue, and develop successors through cross-market responsibility.

Partnerships may provide payments, identity, distribution or service capacity. Their economics, data, resilience, conduct and exit paths belong in each market case. The bank must retain customer accountability even when a partner controls a visible part of the experience.

The operating cadence will compare market, customer, cash, risk and people outcomes. Forecasts should distinguish external movement from management action and state the decision triggered by a threshold. The aim is faster allocation, not another layer of presentation.

Why this seat is open

This planned new role belongs to the next operating model rather than replacing an incumbent. A four-to-six-month appointment process places the executive before the next capital and talent cycle, while current leaders retain their formal remits until activation.

What you will own

• Establish comparable economics and decision rights across country businesses.
• Steward AED 54,400 million of loans, deposits, capital and forecasts.
• Build durable deposit growth from behaviour and complete relationship value.
• Decide where to invest, standardise, partner, narrow or exit.
• Align shared platforms with evidenced local regulatory and customer needs.
• Lead approximately 1,425 employees and partners with regional succession.
• Protect customers and regulators through portfolio or proposition change.
• Give capital sponsors clear alternatives, gates and downside actions.

The first 12 months

In the first 90 days, reconcile country economics and deposit cohorts. Meet the 30 stakeholders most consequential to regional ownership, including major customers, regulators, treasury, risk, platform leaders and partners. Assess country executives and agree market gates with the board.

Months four to nine should make priority market and organisation choices. Redirect capital, remove unjustified variants and reset fragile partner arrangements. The first measurable value may be more durable deposits, avoided investment, lower service cost or controlled withdrawal from an uneconomic proposition.

By year end, portfolio profitability, leadership consistency and selective expansion should show repeatable progress. Delivery needs to stay within 10% of approval and forecasts should reconcile balances, customers, cash and people for three quarters. Priority issues require independently verified closure; severe escalation cannot age beyond 30 days.

What the board will measure

• Risk-adjusted contribution and deposit durability by country and cohort.
• Capital released or redirected through explicit market gates.
• Platform variants retired and local differences supported by evidence.
• Client and regulatory outcomes through material regional change.
• Retention exceeding 90% for essential leaders and immediate cover across 70% of direct reports.
• Partner resilience, data control and practical exit readiness.

The person

You are a Regional Managing Director, Area President or multi-country General Manager with 28 or more years in banking or adjacent regulated finance. You have unified country operations while making selective growth and exit choices through a changing funding environment.

Your accountable P&L, book, budget or portfolio has been at least AED 31,550 million, and you have led 1,000 or more people. You can demonstrate outcomes sustained across two reporting periods after intervention.

You understand digital acquisition, deposits, platforms, partnerships and regulatory accountability. You can challenge both central functions and successful country heads, then convert disagreement into a decision the organisation can execute.

Compensation and terms

Fixed compensation is AED 2.8–4.0 million plus annual incentive and LTI. This onsite permanent appointment is based in Dubai, offers international relocation support and permits notice of up to six months.

Confidentiality

The bank, country portfolio and organisation design remain protected until a confidential fit discussion. All facts are blended to prevent identification.