History of BLME

Team Members

• Adel Abdul Wahab Al-Majed Chairman

  Adel is the Non-executive Chairman of the Board of BLME Holdings. He has around 40 years of experience in banking. He is currently Group Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of the Company’s owner group, Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P, having previously held the position of Chairman. Adel is currently a Board member of Kuwait Banking Association and is a Board member of the Kuwait Institute of Banking Studies. From 1980 to 2009 Adel worked for National Bank of Kuwait where he held a number of positions including Deputy Chief Executive Officer and General Manager – Consumer Banking Group. Adel graduated from the University of Alexandria with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and attended various executive management development programs at various universities, including Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, and other reputable institutions.

• Andrew Ball Chief Executive Officer

  Andrew has more than 30 years of global experience in the Financial Services sector, specialising in Private and Retail Banking services. In 2020 Andrew stepped into the role of CEO. Having worked at BLME as Head of Wealth Management and Head of Business since 2015, he is uniquely placed to lead the Group as it continues to sharpen its focus on wealth management and real estate as its core offerings. Andrew’s motive continues to be creating the best possible outcome for clients. He believes success is achieved through focusing on the Group’s values, maintaining good governance and continuing to grow positive culture. In doing so, the BLME team remain empowered to provide exceptional expertise and service to our valued clients. Andrew is also a member of the Board of Directors of Walbrook Asset Finance Limited. Before joining BLME in 2015, Andrew was Head of Strategy and Head of Retail Banking at International Bank of Qatar (IBQ). He began his career with Lloyds Bank in 1989, working onshore in the branch network as well as in the Offshore Banking Group in the Channel Islands before moving to Citibank International PLC where he held several roles including Head of Sales and Distribution. In 2004 Andrew joined National Bank of Kuwait as Head of Affluent Sales, after which he worked at Al Khaliji where he held several senior positions including Group Head of Consumer Banking and Head of Premium and Business Banking.

• Chris Power Chief Financial & Chief Operating Officer

  Chris has more than 35 years of global experience in Banking and Financial Services, specialising in Financial Control, Operations, Internal Audit and Risk. In January 2020 Chris was promoted to Chief Finance Officer and Chief Operating Officer having worked at BLME since September 2015. Chris is also a member of the Board of Directors of Walbrook Asset Finance Limited and Walbrook Construction Equipment Finance Limited. Chris was an integral leader in BLME’s strategy refresh in 2016 and driving the related projects to turn the Bank around. Chris was also instrumental in the planning and execution of the Group’s share buy-back program in 2018 and the delivery of the acquisition by Boubyan Bank in February 2020. Chris is a graduate of the London School of Economics, qualified as a chartered accountant in 1986, is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and holds an MBA.

   

  Before joining BLME in 2015, Chris was Group Finance Director of the Board of CLS Group Holdings AG (“CLS”), the world’s foreign exchange settlement utility. He began his career with Deloitte in London before moving to Hong Kong and progressing to Senior Manager and heading up the Hong Kong Banking and Securities Group. Chris joined the ABN AMRO Banking Group in 1994, where he held various senior control, compliance, finance and operations positions whilst working in Hong Kong, Thailand and Brazil. This culminated in Chris heading up the control function for South America and joining ABN AMRO’s Top Executive Group as a Corporate Executive Vice President, prior to joining CLS in 2008 as Chief Financial Officer and then being promoted to the main Board.

• Abdul-Salam Mohammed Al Saleh Deputy Chairman

  Abdul-Salam joined the Board of BLME Holdings as a Non-executive Director in June 2020. He is a member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committee and is a member of the Board of Directors of Walbrook Asset Finance Limited. Abdul-Salam is Chief Executive Officer – Corporate Banking, Financial Control, Treasury and Legal Affairs of Boubyan Bank, which he joined in October 2012, and Chairman of Boubyan Takaful Insurance Company. Abdul-Salam has more than 34 years of banking experience. He worked for 18 years at National Bank of Kuwait, where he gained experience in Financial Control and Corporate Banking; and his last position was the head of Domestic Corporate Banking. Prior to joining Boubyan Bank, he worked for over 7 years for National Bank of Abu Dhabi as the Regional Manager of its branch in Kuwait. Abdul-Salam received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Kuwait University and has attended various executive management development programs over the course of his career.

• David Williams Non-Executive Director (Independent)

  David Williams joined the Group in October 2015 as an Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Risk Committee. David was appointed as Chairman of Walbrook Asset Finance Limited and of Walbrook Construction Equipment Finance Limited in October 2021. He is a senior credit risk professional with over 30 years of experience in international banking operating at executive and board level in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. Over a career with Barclays PLC his executive roles included Wholesale Credit Risk Director of the Barclays Group and Chief Credit Officer at Barclays Capital. David was a Non-executive Board Director of LCH Clearnet Group Ltd. David is a former British Army officer and is currently Chairman of veterans charity Haig Housing Trust and Deputy Chairman of Care for Veterans.

• Jabra Ghandour Non-Executive Director

  Jabra Ghandour is a Non-executive Board member of BLME Holdings having previously served as Chief Executive Officer between March and November 2016. He has more than 30 years of experience in Financial Services. He is currently Head of Global Wealth Management and Investments at Boubyan Bank K.S.C.P. and is a Non-Executive Director of Boubyan Capital Investment Company. Before joining the Group, he was the Managing Director and Board member of International Bank of Qatar. Jabra began his career at Cairo Amman Bank where he was Head of Treasury before moving to Union Bank as Executive Manager responsible for Treasury and Financial Institutions. Jabra joined Jordan National Bank (Ahli Bank) in 1994 as Assistant General Manager followed by four years at Merrill Lynch (Jordan) as General Manager. From 2002 to 2012 he worked at National Bank of Kuwait holding several senior positions including General Manager, Jordan and Head of Private Banking. Jabra has played a key role in developing and growing market leading banks. He is also an independent Board member of Bank of Etihad in Jordan.

• Calum Thomson Non-Executive Director (Independent)

  Calum Thomson joined the Board of BLME Holdings in April 2017 as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Risk Committee, the Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee. Calum is a chartered accountant with 30 years of experience in the Financial Services industry including 21 years at Deloitte LLP, specialising in the Financial Services sector. During his career at Deloitte, he led the global and UK asset management groups.  His experience includes clients in the Middle East, Malaysia, UK and the US covering wealth and investment management, private banking, private equity and the General Insurance Markets.  Calum is a Non-executive Director and Audit Committee Chair of The Diverse Income Trust plc, AVI Global Trust plc, Baring Emerging EMEA Opportunities plc, abrdn Private Equity Opportunities Trust and Ghana International Bank plc; and Trustee and Chairman of Tarbat Historic Trust, and Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of Suffolk Wildlife Trust. In addition, he is an independent Non-executive Director of Schroder Pension Management Ltd and a Non-executive Director of Schroder Unit Trusts Ltd.

• Joanne Hindle Non-Executive Director (Independent)

  Joanne Hindle joined the Board of BLME Holdings as an Independent Non-executive Director in July 2018. She chairs the Nominations and Remuneration Committee and sits on the Audit and Risk Committees. She has over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry having held both executive and board level positions. Over her career Joanne has been Corporate Services Director at Unum Limited and Director of Pensions Development at NatWest Life.  Amongst her portfolio of non-executive board positions, Joanne was Chairman of Shepherd’s Friendly Society until June 2021 and served on the board as a Non-Executive Director and chair of their remuneration committee until June 2022. In addition, Joanne is Chairman of Stafford Railway Building Society, Chairman of Co-op Funeral Plans Ltd and a Trustee of La Serenissima Limited. She was a legal and compliance consultant for AXA Assistance until December 2019 and formerly was Chairman of Holmesdale Building Society.

• Bader Abdullah Al Kandari Non-Executive Director

  Bader Abdullah Al Kandari joined the Board of BLME Holdings as a Non-executive Director in March 2019. He is a member of the Risk Committee. He is an experienced investment professional. He began his career in 2004 at the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development and held a senior position at Al-Mal Investment Company. Bader is currently Chief Investment Officer- Liquid Investments at Kuwait’s Public Institution for Social Security. Prior to this position he was Investment Global Manager at Dimah Capital from 2012 until 2015. Bader has an MBA and is Vice Chairman of Boursa Kuwait and Vice Chairman of Wafra International Investment Company, Kuwait.

• Abdullah Abdulkareem Al-Tuwaijri Non-Executive Director

  Abdullah joined the Board of BLME Holdings as a Non-executive Director in June 2021. He is a member of the Audit Committee and the Nominations and Remuneration Committee. Abdullah is Chief Executive Officer – Consumer, Private, and Digital Banking of Boubyan Bank, which he joined in December 2011, Chairman of Boubyan Capital Investment Company and Chairman of BB2 Digital and Technology Services Limited. Abdullah has more than 33 years of banking experience, including 23 years at National Bank of Kuwait. During his time with NBK, he held different leadership roles in retail banking in Kuwait and London. Abdullah received his bachelor’s degree in Finance from Kuwait University and attended several executive development programs at Harvard Business School, INSEAD, and other reputable institutions.