OAB names Asma Al Zadjali as head of banking operations group

Business Saturday 04/May/2019 17:43 PM
By: Times News Service
OAB names Asma Al Zadjali as head of banking operations group

Muscat: In line with its approach to continually assess and streamline its organisational structures to improve efficiencies, Oman Arab Bank (OAB) has carried out a minor restructuring of some divisions within the bank.
These included changes to the Banking Operations Group and the establishment of three new departments within the Human Resource Division (HRD), together with a few changes made to other divisions. Each of these was designed to further facilitate the Bank’s succession plan and gradual career development strategy, fostering the growth of future Omani leaders and senior management in various disciplines within the Bank. This is further exemplified with the appointment of National CEO Programme (NCP) graduate, Asma Al Zadjali, as the new Head of the Banking Operations Group.
Commenting on the restructure and the appointment of Asma Al Zadjali, Rashad Al Musafir, CEO of OAB said, “OAB, over the past few years, has been undergoing a significant transformation that has seen us grow from strength-to-strength to become one of the most technologically advanced and leading retail-oriented bank in the country. Central to this growth is the skill and talent of our staff and the highly qualified and capable management team that leads them; a majority of whom have worked their way up through the ranks.”
“We at OAB are always on the lookout for such promising individuals with great leadership potential. Through each of our various learning and development programs and initiatives, we aim to foster their growth and fast track them to positions of greater responsibilities within the Bank. Asma Al Zadjali is one such individual who has been an invaluable member of our staff and has proven her capabilities, having even passed the National CEO Program with flying colours. She is truly deserving of her newly appointed position and on behalf of everyone at the Bank I would like to congratulate her on her appointment as the new Head of the Banking Operations Group,” he added.
OAB has always been committed to building a pool of talented employees across all Divisions by recognising their existing strengths and build on them with new skill-sets and through specialised Learning and Development programmes. In doing so, the Bank nurtures their growth as future leaders within the banking and finance sector; in turn, preparing and supporting the growth of Sultanate’s national workforce.
In order to further build on these initiatives with even greater efficiency and with the aim of implementing an even more strategic approach towards providing staff with the opportunity to take on leadership positions in various disciplines, the Bank, as part of the restructure established three new departments within the HRD – the Talent Management Department, Employee Experience Department, and Human Capital Data Department.
“With the implementation of these three new departments, we will be able to better streamline our processes when it comes to staff career development and succession planning at all levels. We will now be even better equipped to assess our employees and identify the suitable Learning and Development programmes to provide them with the necessary skill sets and knowledge to take their performance to the next level,” said Adil Al Rahbi, the Head of the HRD of OAB.
In fact, the HRD already conducts several Learning and Development programmes throughout the year for both new and existing staff in all aspects of Bank operations to both improve their skills and knowledge in each of their respective fields as well as personal development. Two of its most prominent programmes are its ‘Ta’heel’ programme and Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD), both of which are aimed at developing the skills and capabilities of employees, and subsequently offering them an opportunity to take on greater responsibilities within the Bank.
Adil added, “We are also firm supporters of women empowerment, ensuring that our female employees are provided with equal opportunities to take on leadership roles within the Bank. The appointment of Asma Al Zadjali into her new role is a clear reflection of both, her own talent and skill as well as our commitment to the cause.”
From her side, Asma al Zadjali stated, “I am extremely grateful to the Bank’s executive management members for their constant support and encouragement, and for providing me with this valuable opportunity. I am pleased to take up my new role as the Head of the Banking Operations Group and will work closely with my team to improve the capabilities and efficiency of the division and, by extension, that of the Bank as a whole.”
Holding a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Strathclyde, a Chairperson of Strathclyde Oman Alumni, Asma has over 19 years of experience working in large companies and banks. In her time at OAB, she has been instrumental in the centralisation of retail, corporate, Islamic finance credit administration; thereby ensuring asset quality and bringing in the necessary changes to establish better control and improving the turnaround times. She has also led the remedial, recovery and legal department teams, improving collection processes. Furthermore, she graduated from the National CEO Programme (NCP) in May 2018 as the only candidate from the banking sector and as one of only three female candidates to have passed the stringent entry criteria for the programme.
Oman Arab Bank is proud to have achieved the highest Omanisation percentage within the banking sector, nearing 96 per cent. It is also one of the first banks to be established in Oman with a rich and proud history. Today, the bank operates a nationwide network of 65 branches and representative offices and 152 ATMs spread across the Sultanate. OAB also provides a complete range of financial products and services for personal banking, corporate, and investment clients.