Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif - Chairman, PIMCC
President and CEO, LemrAir Consultancy, Former President and CEO, Al Baraka Banking Group
With around four decades of international banking experience, Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif is a global figure in the Islamic Banking & Financial Services industry. His contribution towards taking Islamic Banking on the global stage is pivotal to the present standing of Islamic Banking Internationally.
The first footsteps of Islamic Banking in the European market was marked with Mr. Yousif establishing an Islamic Bank of Britain PLC (IBB – Now known as Al Rayan Bank) in the year 2004, with an authorized share capital of £ 50 million, Al Rayan Bank is the UK’s only wholly Sharia compliant retail bank. He also has the distinction of establishing the European Islamic Investment Bank (EIIB) during January 2005 with an authorized share capital of £ 100 million. The sole objective was to make EIIB the first independent Islamic Investment Bank in Europe that was managed on a wholly Shari’a compliant basis, to provide investment opportunity for Arabs in UK and Europe.
As President & Chief Executive, Mr. Yousif has led Al Baraka Banking Group (ABG) since inception, developing the Group into one of the largest and most diversified Islamic banking groups in the world, operating a network of around 700 branches in 17 countries, with its Head Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He was the Chairman of Al Baraka subsidiary banks at various points of time, namely, Jordan Islamic Bank, Al Baraka Bank Egypt, Al Baraka Bank Lebanon s.a.l, Al Baraka Bank Sudan, Al Baraka Turk Participation Bank, Al Baraka Bank Ltd. South Africa, Banque Al Baraka D'Algerie S.P.A., Al Baraka Bank (Pakistan) Ltd., Al Baraka Bank Syria s.a and BTI Bank, Morocco.
Mr. Yousif is currently the Chairman of Bahrain Association of Banks. He has been the Chairman of the Union of Arab Banks, headquartered in Lebanon, for two consecutive terms (2007-2013). On June 9, 2019, a royal decree was issued appointing Adnan Ahmed Yousif as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Governmental Hospitals.
In 2011, Mr. Yousif received the Medal of Efficiency, a unique honor conferred by His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the Kingdom of Bahrain. In 2017, Mr. Yousif received the Honorary Freedom Award, the highest honor from the City of London for his outstanding contributions to international banking services.
The Global Islamic Finance Awards (GIFA) has declared Mr. Yousif as the Islamic Finance Personality of the Year 2017. He was also awarded by the LARIBA American Finance House the 2012 LARIBA Award for Excellence in Achievement in recognition of his leadership role in consolidating and operating the largest diversified Islamic banking group in the world. In 2004 and 2009, he twice received the Islamic Banker of the Year award (2004 and 2009).
Mr. Adnan was awarded the "Excellence in Partner Empowerment for 2019" award by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in collaboration with the United Nations Global Marketplace Organization and the Arab Planning Institute during the eighth meeting of the partners of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility in the Arab States held in Kuwait in January 2019. He was awarded also "The Arab Economic Socially Responsible- Personality" Award for 2018” by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility during the honoring ceremony held in the Kingdom of Bahrain in January 2019.
Mr. Adnan was awarded the "Scientific Competency Award in the fields of Green Banking" by the Regional Network for Social Responsibility during the CSR conference, held online in June 2020. He was also awarded the Scientific Competency Award in the fields of CSR and business ethics as well as the International Excellence Award in the field of CSR during the International Congress of CSR in the Kingdom of Morocco in September 2019.
In 2017, Mr. Yousif won the 12th Islamic Business & Finance Awards for his Outstanding Contribution in CSR in Islamic banking. In 2016, the CSR Regional Network named him as the High Commissioner for advocating the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. The CSR Regional Network, in 2015, named him the CSR International Ambassador (Kingdom of Bahrain). He also received the Gold Award for Sustainable Development for his major role in the social responsibility programs nationally and internationally in 2016, as well as recognition for the leading role of ABG in the field of CSR at Oman International Conference on Social Responsibility.
Mr. Yousif was previously at the Arab Banking Corporation for over 20 years, and last served as Director on its Board. He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Hull, UK. In recognition of Mr. Yousif’s outstanding contribution in the field of contemporary Islamic finance and for modernizing its theoretical fundamentals in practice, the Al Jinan University of Lebanon granted him an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy in Business Administration.