Central Bank of Egypt Governor Amer assumes post of AFI Board Chair

Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Tarek Amer assumes post of the new chair of AFI’s Board of Directors during the network’s annual general meeting (AGM) at the 2019 AFI Global Policy Forum held on 11 September in Kigali, Rwanda.

Amer succeeds Fazle Kabir, the governor of Bangladesh Bank. Kabir, a former public servant, heading Bangladesh’s central bank since March 2016. Prior to this, he served on the board of directors at Bangladesh Bank and Sonali Bank, the largest commercial bank in Bangladesh. During his two-year role, Amer will be responsible for facilitating discussions and imparting leadership guidance as well as presiding over the board’s meetings and carrying out its responsibilities in accordance with “AFI Articles of Association”.

“I am honored for leading the AFI Board and contributing towards the independence and growth of the AFI Network. Looking forward to work with the esteemed Board members in strengthening the work and governance of the AFI Board,” he said.

Referring to the value that the AFI network provides its members, Governor Amer said: “AFI has given us insight and understanding of the best practices and the ability to interact with you all to share experiences at various policymaking levels. And it is not been theoretical … we see the ideas, we go back home and we apply them”.

Prior to his tenure as the CBE governor, which began in November 2015, Governor Amer chaired the National Bank of Egypt (NBE), where he instigated reforms that transformed the bank into the largest financial services provider in Egypt and one of the biggest in the Middle East and North Africa.

Before spearheading NBE, Governor Amer served as deputy governor of the CBE in the aftermath of the global financial crisis in the early 2000s. His professional career spans over 38 years in banking, management and corporate finance, with time spent at Bank of America and Citi Group covering several regions, including the Middle East and North Africa, Turkey and the Gulf Cooperation Council.

In June, Governor Amer was awarded as African Central Bank Governor of the Year at the African Banker Awards 2019 for “successfully reforming and transforming the financial sector, through proper regulation and policies, as well as creating a stable and predictable environment for investment and growth”. Since 2018, Amer acted as vice chair for the AFI board, a position that will remain vacant until after the AGM.

Central Bank of Egypt Deputy Governor Lobna Helal the role CBE will play as new AFI Board Chair 

About Central Bank of Egypt

CBE joined AFI in June 2013 and is a founding member of the network’s Gender and Women’s Financial Inclusion Committee, which was recognized with the Advocacy Champion Award at the 2018 AFI GPF in Sochi, Russia. As an active member of the network, CBE co-hosted the 2017 AFI GPF in the coastal town of Sharm El-Sheikh, the first time this flagship event to be convened in the Arab region. The GPF was attended by more than 700 delegates from over 90 countries and highlighted innovative financial inclusion policies and activities from around the world.

About the 2019 AFI GPF

The 2019 AFI GPF is being co-hosted by the National Bank of Rwanda under the theme of “Using Technology for Inclusion of Women and Youth”. The three-day event is the world’s most important forum for financial inclusion, gathering over 800 global policymakers, regulatory institutions and development partners to share experiences, knowledge and initiatives that have rendered an impact in bringing financial services to the world’s 1.7 billion unbanked.