Awards at MEBIS+ 2021
The MEBIS+ Summit and Awards uncovered the latest innovations in banking and finance
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
On the 15th and 16th September at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel and Conference Centre, UAE, the MEBIS+ Summit returned to take a look into the disruptive technologies and cutting-edge innovations that are transforming the banking industry. Over two days, topics such as automation, AI, data analytics, digital transformation and more were explored within the context of the Middle East finance sector, providing attendees with the freshest insights into the industry. This leading industry event also included the brand new MEBIS+ Awards, an initiative that celebrated the financial institutions going above and beyond for their customers and employees.
The MEBIS+ agenda was filled with some of the biggest and most influential players in the MENA banking industry. From Commercial Bank of Dubai, Dr. Bernd van Linder shared his experiences with embracing disruption and the benefits he has observed. Jameel Khan from Mashreq Bank, Maisa J Shunnar from National Bank of Bahrain, Aditya Baswan, from First Abu Dhabi Bank, Vikram Sandhu from Emirates NBD and Tuncay Tuncer from Standard Chartered Bank all gathered for a panel discussion exploring the varied and rewarding role of the Chief Digital Officer. Prasad Mopidevi from Commercial Bank of Dubai, Sanjay Khanna from RAKBANK, Sumanta Roy from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Noman Rashid from Dubai Islamic Bank came together to project the future of branch banking, whilst Manal Meshal from Ahli United Bank (Bahrain) spoke on building digital marketing dominance. Rashed AlOthman from Riyad Bank and Stefan Kimmel from Commercial Bank of Dubai spoke on a panel focusing on the key role of digitization in the sector. Elissar Farah Antonios from Citi (MENA Cluster) delved further into this topic, exploring whether digitization is a necessity or a luxury.
Przemyslaw Drzymala from Diamond Sponsor, Comarch, opened the event with a Welcome Address, which was followed by a keynote on avoiding pitfalls while implementing AI courtesy of Celal Kavuklu from Artificial Intelligence and Analytics Partner, SAS. Platinum Sponsors, Incorta & MDSap spoke across both days where Abboud Girgi Ghanem from Incorta delved making Better Decision in Sub-second by while Ernesto Schmitz from SAP shared thoughts on Designing Great Customer Experiences in Banking. Vijay Jaswal from Gold Sponsor, Software AG, gave a presentation titled 'Banking 2030 - Pathways to Perseverance' and Andrew Foulds from Silver Sponsor, Fiserv, discussed 'The Future of Payments - Redefining the Movement of Money'. Omar Faiz from Silver Sponsor, Salesforce, explored Supercharging the Banking Ecosystem with Agile Infrastructures' whilst Jonathan Somers from Silver Sponsor, NetGuardians, spoke on 'Boosting Cyber Resilience for Digital Banking'.
Speaking at the CXO panel discussion, Carlos Teixeira, Senior Industry Principal, Finastra highlighted, "Banking is undergoing a revolution, as customers demand a digital-first experience and access to a broader range of services. Traditional banks can choose to remain deposit houses, first and foremost, or they can engage with this process by embracing Open Banking, Banking as a Platform or Service, and digitalisation of services. The CXO is the person who will choose to either maintain a business as usual approach or embrace change and become a real champion of positive transformation within their organisation."
The MEBIS+ Bank Awards covered 8 key categories and gave institutions well-deserved recognition for their efforts in building diverse and supportive workplace cultures, demonstrating strong leadership and fostering innovation. Winners were congratulated for going above and beyond for their employees and clients.
The Winners were:
- National Bank of Bahrain for the CSR Excellence Bank Award
- Dubai Islamic Bank for the Women Empowerment Excellence Bank Award
- Emirates NBD for the Employee Innovation Excellence Bank Award
- RAKBANK for the Sustainable Work Practices Excellence Bank Award
- Ajman Bank for the Nationalization Excellence Bank Award
- Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank for the Resilience & Responsiveness Excellence Bank Award
- Ahli United Bank for the Employee Happiness Initiative Excellence Bank Award
- Riyad Bank for the Youth Empowerment Excellence Bank Award
For more information on the MEBIS+ Summit and Awards, visit mebisplus.com
