Board of Directors
Mr. Mohamed Ozalp - Non-Executive Chairman
In September 2024, Mr. Ozalp was appointed as the Non-Executive Chairman of Banque du Caire. With over four decades of extensive banking experience, he provides strategic oversight and guidance to the bank's board of directors.
Prior to his appointment at Banque du Caire, Mr. Mohamed Ozalp served as the Non-Executive Chairman of the United Bank from August 2023 to September 2024. Before that, he held the position of Managing Director and CEO of BLOM Bank Egypt since April 2010. Additionally, Mr. Ozalp was the Vice Chairman and Board Member of Banque Misr from October 2002 to March 2010, He also served as a Board Member and Executive Vice Chairman of Banque du Caire from October 2005 to September 2008.
Mr. Ozalp spent 24 years at Misr International Bank, gaining experience in various areas of the bank's operations, reaching the position of Senior General Manager and member of the Executive Committee.
Furthermore, Mr. Ozalp has served on the boards of numerous institutions including: Misr International Bank, UBAE Arab Italian Bank (Rome), Banque Misr Lebanon, the Federation of Egyptian Banks, the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange, the Egypt-U.S. Presidential Council, The Arab Contractors, the Egyptian Mortgage Refinance Company, Vodafone Egypt and Banque Misr Europe.
Mr. Ozalp also served as the Executive Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt and Chairman of the French Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Ozalp holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Business from the United States and has participated in several intensive training programs at The First National Bank of Chicago.
Mr. Hussein Abaza - Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Hussein Abaza assumed the position of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Banque du Caire in September 2024. Bringing over three decades of extensive banking experience, he leads one of Egypt's premier state-owned banks. Banque du Caire serves a substantial client base exceeding four million customers, including 1,000+ corporates. Supported by a dedicated workforce of over 8,500 employees, the bank operates through a network of 249 branches and 1,710 ATMs. Banque du Caire offers a comprehensive suite of personalized banking solutions, innovative digital products, a broad range of non-banking financial services, and is strategically focused on sustainable transformation.
Mr. Abaza was CIB’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director since June 2021 till September 2024, and Chief Executive Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors since March 2017 till June 24, 2021. He also Chaired the Executive Committees (Management and High Lending & Investment Committees). He assumed this position after a six-year run as CEO of Institutional Banking. Prior to this, Mr. Abaza was the Bank’s Chief Operating Officer and, from 2001 to 2010, its Chief Risk Officer, responsible for managing credit, market, and operational risk across CIB.
Mr. Abaza was also a leader of the Bank’s award-winning Investor Relations program; in which capacity he has helped CIB grow from a market capitalization of EGP 10.8 billion in 2008 to EGP 82.3 billion as of July 2021. Under Mr. Abaza’s leadership, the team managed Ripplewood’s 2009 exit from CIB, the entry into the shareholding structure of global emerging markets private equity firm Actis, and the subsequent sale of Actis’s 6.5% stake to Canadian insurance firm Fairfax Financial Holding Ltd. in the Egyptian Exchange’s first block trading transaction. The Bank’s IR program has taken home wins from the Extel / MEIRA poll for five consecutive years, from 2014 to 2018.
In his more than 25 years with CIB, Mr. Abaza has become actively involved in the Bank’s regionally renowned credit training program, providing talented young bankers with the theoretical basis and hands-on experience needed to assess the creditworthiness of organizations across all sectors of the economy.
He brought to CIB a sharp interest in financial markets and non-bank financial services, having served as Head of Research and then Managing Director at EFG Hermes Asset Management from 1995 until his return to CIB in 2001. He called on that experience from 2014 to 2017 as Chairman of Cl Capital, a leading Egyptian investment bank and subsidiary of CIB until the Bank exited its investments.
Mr. Abaza joined CIB after obtaining his BA in Business Administration from AUC. He has pursued post-graduate training and education in Belgium, Switzerland, London, and New York.
Bahaa El Shafie - Deputy CEO & Executive Board Member
In 2021, Mr. Bahaa El Shafie was appointed as Vice Chairman of Banque du Caire, bringing with him extensive banking experience spanning over 30 years in corporate and investment banking.
Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in driving strategic growth and enhancing financial performance. Prior to joining Banque du Caire, he spent nearly a decade leading the Corporate and Investment sector at QNB Al Ahli (formerly National Société Générale Bank), where he played a key role in developing the bank’s corporate strategy, expanding its investment portfolio, and strengthening client relationships across various sectors.
Besides managing the bank’s large corporate portfolio, he managed the bank’s Private Equity Portfolio in addition to Custody services and Mutual Funds. He was a leading member of several committees at QNB Al Ahli including; Management Committee, Assets and Liability Committee, Risk Review Committee, Recovery Committee as well as the Investment Committee.
Mr. El Shafie multidisciplinary background resulted in becoming the representative for QNB Al Ahli at a number of companies in various sectors including tourism, petroleum, and asset management, where he was assigned as member of the Board of Directors representing QNB Al Ahli.
Mr. El Shafie spent several years working as the Head of Project Finance and Structured Finance at QNB Al Ahli, during which he arranged and managed several Syndicated loans for mega projects in different economic sectors including Petroleum and Petrochemicals, telecommunications, Construction, as well as large National Projects that required coordination amongst multiple Egyptian and foreign banks and Multilateral Institutions.
He led his team in assuming several leading agency and security agency roles, as well as leading the arrangement of almost all syndicated transactions in the local market. He structured and managed the execution of complex transactions including mergers, acquisitions, and leveraged buy-outs.
As an Executive Director and a core member of the committees at QNB Al Ahli, Mr. El Shafie actively participated in multiple financial mergers throughout his career, including the initial merger between National Société Générale Bank and Misr International Bank, which was then followed by QNB’s acquisition of National Société Générale Bank.
Mr. El Shafie received an array of certifications throughout his career. After receiving a post-graduate degree in Investment Appraisal and Risk Management from Harvard University in Massachusetts, USA, he continued advancing his knowledge through training courses - internally and externally - in the fields of Advanced Capital Market and Portfolio Management and Advanced Credit Analysis at the American University in Cairo, Derivatives and Options at SOGEMARC – Paris.
Hisham M. AbdElaal - Deputy CEO & Executive Board Member
A visionary and strategic luminary in the banking sector, boasting over three decades of progressive expertise. His specialization encompasses a broad spectrum including corporate finance, investment strategies, operations, risk management and mitigation, policy formulation and execution, financial forecasting, and the cultivation of business growth.
He has consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to bridge corporate aspirations with the attainment of tangible outcomes, principally through the empowerment of personnel and the adept utilization of resources, methodologies, and technology. His approach is characterized by a meticulous capacity for planning, developing, and steering business ventures towards peak efficiency, with an acute emphasis on profit augmentation and maintaining a prudent risk threshold.
He is celebrated for his potent motivational qualities, paired with exceptional leadership, communicative clarity, decision-making precision, problem-solving acuity, and interpersonal adeptness, all underscored by a steadfast commitment to corporate objectives and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
His tenure is marked by adeptness in complex, innovative corporate restructuring, rebranding, digital evolution, and the revitalization of multi-divisional entities. He is distinguished for prudent fiscal and operational stewardship, strategic alliances, and mergers and acquisitions that have culminated in elevated profitability, cost mitigation, and the amplification of shareholder value.
Possessing a profound understanding of banking regulations, he has a verified history of instituting rigorous controls to ensure regulatory compliance. He is committed to upholding a legacy of excellence built upon quality, service, and uncompromising ethical standards.
He previously served as a Deputy CEO and Executive Board Member at Bank NXT where he led a comprehensive restructuring of all business, operational, and digital functions. Before that, he held senior positions at Arab African International Bank and contributed to its strategic growth. His career began at National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Arab Bank, where he gained extensive experience in corporate banking, credit, and operations.
He holds a B.Sc. in Accounting from Cairo University and is actively engaged in industry developments and international trends. He has completed several professional development programs, including the Future Leaders Program at the Egyptian Banking Institute and the Certified Lender Business Banker (CLBB) certification.
Mrs. Leila Farah Mokaddem - Non-Executive Board Member
Mrs. Leila El Mokaddem joined Banque du Caire as Non-Executive Board Member in March 2021.
She is Director-General Southern Africa of the African Development Bank (AfDB), responsible for 13 countries in the region and a Board member of the West African Development Bank and Alternate Board member at Afreximbank. Prior to that, Mrs. Mokaddem was the Country Manager and Resident Representative of the AfDB in Morocco and Egypt from 2014 to 2020.
She occupied the position of Regional Resident Representative in Dakar, Senegal, from 2011 to 2013.
Mrs. Mokaddem started at the AfDB in 2002 as Head of Financial Institutions, where she supported the financing and capacity building of financial institutions across Africa, including regional commercial banks and capital market development. She designed innovative financial solutions for Africa, including the African SME Guarantee Fund, AfDB trade finance Initiative, and the Women in the Business initiative.
Mrs. Mokaddem led the origination and management of multi-billion investment portfolios in 35 African countries, particularly in the infrastructure and financial services sectors.
Prior to AfDB, she was the long-term fiscal advisor to the IMF. She started her career at the Ministry of Economy of Tunisia, later becoming a Board Member of the West Africa Development Bank and Microfinance Advans Holding.
Mrs. Mokaddem has an MBA in Finance and International Trade.
Mr. Hisham Hendi - Non-Executive Board Member
Hisham Hendi is an Egyptian currently living and working in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. He is the Chief Commercial Officer at Mobily (Etihad El Etisalat), with more than 20 years of global experience across the UK, Spain, Egypt, South Africa, and Tanzania.
He has been a Non-Executive Board Director at Banque du Caire for the past 3 years, and also leading the investment committee within the board governance.
As an accomplished strategist, Hisham has extensive experience leading multi-billion and multi-million-dollar businesses across EMEA. His expertise lies in shaping and operationalizing plans to drive business transformation and turnaround within the telecommunications sector, driving mobile financial services, growing market share and sales, advancing digital agendas and IoT, and delivering excellent customer value management and service.
Over the last two decades at Vodafone and Vodacom, he has taken up the mantle of various senior leadership roles including the CEO of Vodafone Tanzania, the Consumer Business Unit Director at Vodafone Spain, Chief Commercial Officer for International Markets in Africa based in South Africa, he was also leading the Consumer Marketing at Vodafone Egypt where he started his Telecom Career.
Prior moving to Riyadh, he spent 3 years in Spain, one of the most active European markets in the Telecom sector, where he restructured many areas within the Vodafone consumer business to enhance customer experience and drive business profitability.
Mr. Hendi worked in Vodafone Egypt, for more than 8 years across different areas within the commercial business, prior heading to South Africa.
Previously, he was in Vodafone Group in London, where he focused on growing partner networks consumer revenue across 13 different markets in Latin America, Europe & Middle East.
As the CEO of Vodafone Tanzania, he was leading a high-performance diverse team, responsible on a customer base over 15.5 million customers. He was also P&L accountable for all business functions of the organisation with a focus on profitable revenue and market growth.
Hisham has also pioneered the innovative Mobile Money services for customers, he has also been the backbone for the digitalization and automation of processes.
Hisham holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from the Faculty of Commerce (English Section) at Cairo University in Egypt. He is also a graduate of executive programs at IMD Business School in Switzerland and London Business School in the UK.
Ms. Nihal Kamal - Board Member
Ms. Nihal Kamal Hassanein has more than 20 years of experience in the field of banking, distributed between credit and marketing in the corporate sector, foreign trade operations, wealth management and retail banking, where she held several positions in many banks (HSBC International Bank).
She held many prominent positions and has many leadership, supervisory and professional experiences in the field of financial and banking services, in addition to experiences in developing strategies and business planning in the boards of directors of banks and companies in which she worked.
She started her career at HSBC International Bank in the foreign trade sector, then moved to the corporate credit and marketing sector, where she gained extensive experience in corporate business and played a major role in expanding the bank’s activity and customer base between borrowing and non-borrowing companies. She assumed responsibility for financial portfolios for several international, local and governmental companies. She also participated in conducting comprehensive risk assessments to determine credit risks and take measures aimed at reducing risks for existing and potential corporate clients, contributing to the growth of the bank’s business volume and thus the growth of the business volume of the companies under her management, which is an important role in the country’s economy, in addition to managing 22 branches of HSBC Bank and contributing 70% of the profits of individual banking services, and also contributed to launching new accounts within the banking sector.
She held the position of Chairman of the Financial Services Committee at Egypt Post, in addition to membership in the Board of Directors, and participated in preparing the business strategy and its medium and short-term plans in addition to reviewing their implementation, she reviewed the implementation of strategies and measured performance against plans and major capital projects and investments in line with international trends and social responsibility.
As a member of the Board of Directors in many boards, she contributed to developing the company's strategies and planning to maximize revenues and use resources and assets to ensure sound growth, and the ability to bear risks, including membership in the Board of Directors of Med Bank, Post Investment Company, Misr Life Insurance Company, and Misr Hotels Company, in addition to membership in several committees, including the Chairmanship of the Financial Services Committee at Egypt Post and membership in the Audit Committee and the Investment Committee.
She graduated from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, and holds an MBA from Edinburgh Business School, holder of board of directors certificate. She obtained many training programs such as "Leadership: The Roadmap", "How to Perform the Best Amazing Sales Performance". Obtained a course in "Bank Credit Management - Asset Protection" and "Asset Transfer Lending Course", Fast Track Certificate in Relationship Management for International Banking Services, and also obtained a credit course for HSBC Bank in Egypt. She has strong leadership skills and extensive experience in financial analysis, risk assessment and strategy development.
Mr. Ahmed El Guindy - Board Member
Ahmed El Guindy is a Founding Partner of Tanmiya Capital Ventures (TCV), one of the most active companies operating in alternative investments in Egypt since 2016.
Before founding his firm, El Guindy served as The Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking at EFG-Hermes. Over his 12-year tenor with EFG-Hermes, he led and participated in Mergers & Acquisitions and Equity Capital Market transactions across the Middle East region amounting to USD 45 billion. Before joining the leading investment banking firm in 2004, El Guindy began his career as a Macroeconomic Research Analyst at the World Bank’s Cairo office in 2002.
El Guindy served as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of several leading Egyptian institutions, including Banque Misr where he served for 6 years as a Non-Executive Director and Chairperson of the Audit Committee.
El Guindy holds Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Economics from the American University in Cairo in 2002, and a Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics in 2004.
Mr. Osama El Misery - Board Member
Mr. Osama El Messiry was appointed as a Non-Executive Board Member at Banque Du Caire in September 2024, brining around four decades of banking experience across North Africa.
Mr. El Messiry is the former General Manager of the National Bank of Egypt - Sudan, where her served in that role from February 2014 to August 2022. In this capacity, he led a dedicated team and successfully achieved strategic objectives. Marking his tenure by effective management and commitment to driving the bank’s growth in the Sudanese market.
Mr. Osama El Messiry began his professional career in 1982 at Arab Bank Egypt, where he progressed through various key positions for 30 years. Transitioning from Retail Banking, Branch Management, Trade Finance, Treasury Operations to Corporate Credit and Risk acquiring a comprehensive exposure and deep understanding of the banking operations.
In February 2009, Mr. El Messiry was nominated by Arab Bank to assume the role of Corporate Credit Restructuring Advisor and Supervisor at Wahda Bank Libya (subsidiary of Arab Bank Group) and later in January 2012 holding the same position at Arab Bank Tunis where he successfully specialized in restructuring corporate credit portfolios and overseeing the implementation of effective strategies.
Mr. El Messiry holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, complemented by various training programs and certifications in banking and finance.
Mr. Mahmoud Elsafty - Board Member
Mahmoud Elsafty is Managing Director at RIMCO Investments in Dubai, a role he assumed in 2024. With 25 years of extensive buy-side experience across regional and international markets, Mahmoud is a seasoned investment professional who has held key positions at top-tier banks, financial institutions, and family offices. His expertise spans equities, credit, and alternative investments.
Prior to joining RIMCO Investments, Mahmoud led the Listed Investments division at Ghobash Trading and Investments (GTI) for over a decade. In 2013, he co-founded Scope Investments, a Dubai-based single-family office, where he served as Investment Director, managing investments across the MENA region. Earlier, as Director at Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) in 2010, Mahmoud co-managed the UBP MENA Equity Fund. From 2005, he worked at Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Asset Management and MAF Trust, where he played a key role in building the research team, developing advanced financial models, shaping MENA investment strategies, and establishing a structured investment framework.
Mahmoud began his career at Commercial International Bank (CIB) in Egypt, where he spent five years and completed the bank's in-house Credit and Investment Training Program in 2001.
He holds a Master of Finance from Queen’s University in Canada and an MBA from the Arab Academy Graduate School of Business (AAGSB). In 2023, Mahmoud completed the Alternative Investments Program at Harvard Business School, further enhancing his investment expertise.