Description

Strategic business leader with 23+ years in payments, acquiring, and financial services across the GCC, UK, US, and Asia. I’ve built and scaled ecosystems at the intersection of banks, fintechs, and processors—owning P&Ls, driving transformation, and enabling commercial growth across issuing, acquiring, and embedded finance.

Skilled in Go-To-Market Strategy, Large-Scale Tech Solutions, Pricing & Commercial Strategy, and Strategic Account Management, I have successfully driven business growth in UAE, Oman, Qatar, KSA, Kuwait, India, UK, and Singapore

My focus is on driving revenue growth, digital transformation, and strategic partnerships across the Middle East. From leading $350M portfolios at Network International to expanding AFS’s footprint across 14 institutions, I’ve consistently delivered results through partnership acceleration, regulatory alignment, and modular execution. My recent work at Core42 (Group 42) deepened my exposure to cloud-native platforms, AI-led BFSI solutions, and strategic GTM across UAE’s top banks.

I operate with disciplined self-accountability—tracking priorities, client engagement strategies and outcomes daily—and bring that same clarity to team building, stakeholder engagement, and BD strategy. Whether scaling fintech programs or optimizing legacy infrastructure, I translate complexity into action and empower teams to move with velocity.

📍 UAE-based, open to GCC relocation

🎯 Focused on strategic BD, fintech orchestration, and platform-led growth

📩 Open to networking and discussing opportunities in financial services, payments, and fintech innovation. Let’s connect!

Bottomline- I specialize in payments innovation, fintech collaboration, and leading large-scale transformations and revenue growth. I'm passionate about driving growth and innovation through strategic partnerships in GCC markets.

#BFSI #Payments #DigitalTransformation #Fintech #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #Technology #AI #Payment Processing

Industry field of expertise

Languages

English
Native or bilingual
Hindi
Native or bilingual
Urdu
Fluent
Punjabi
Native or bilingual
Arabic
Basic

Workplace preferences

Can work on-site

Dubai City (up to 50km)

Core 42 (Group
Director BFSI vertical, Core42
BANKING AND INSURANCE
July 2024 - December 2024 (5 months)
Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates
• Spearheaded strategic market expansion and revenue growth across the UAE's BFSI sector, overseeing a $15M P&L while leading cross-functional teams in sales, client engagement, and commercial enablement.
• Strengthening go-to-market strategy by aligning digital transformation initiatives with client CxO priorities, driving competitive edge in cloud and AI/ML solutions.
• Served as trusted advisor to C-level executives at tier-one financial institutions, aligning Core42's offerings with strategic banking priorities.
• Developed and executed sales strategies focused on digital transformation, cloud adoption (Microsoft Azure & Oracle Cloud), cybersecurity, and AI/ML infrastructure (GPU-as-a-service).
• Led expansion beyond Abu Dhabi, establishing flagship relationships with Emirates NBD and Mashreq, while deepening strategic engagement with ADCB, ADIC, and ADNIC.
• Drove pipeline growth through tailored solution mapping, competitive positioning, and insights into regulatory frameworks shaping fintech adoption in the GCC.
Digital Transformation Business development Strategic planning
Arab Financial Services (AFS)
VP (Country Manager- UAE, Oman & Kuwait)
July 2022 - June 2024 (1 year and 11 months)
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Payment Processing, Arab Financial Services (AFS)
• Grew AFS footprint by forging new partnerships across 14 institutions, resulting in 25% YoY revenue acceleration in issuing services whilst managing a $20m P&L.
• Orchestrated commercial strategies that contributed over 30% to overall Issuing Processing revenue, with emphasis on cross-border scalability and acquisition of new accounts.
• Oversaw GCC-wide BD strategy to win new business across the GCC region.
• Led Go-to-market strategy that positioned AFS as the preferred partner for payment modernization across UAE Oman and Kuwait for Issuing & Acquiring clients, with a focus on client success and revenue acceleration.
• Strengthened AFS's market dominance in Oman through direct engagement with C-level stakeholders at major issuing and acquiring institutions, supporting both product adoption and onsite delivery.
• Led Issuing-as-a-Service solution, successfully onboarding two fintech clients—driving product adoption, regulatory alignment, and commercial growth.
• Drove data-informed innovation initiatives and partnership acceleration, aligning technical roadmaps with customer priorities to increase retention and exceed revenue targets.
• Conducted consultative workshops to bridge client needs with product roadmaps, fostering co-innovation across payments modernization and cloud-native service delivery.
Network International (NI)
VP (Account Director- Strategic Accounts)
January 2016 - June 2022 (6 years and 5 months)
Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Function: Sales & Client Management, Issuing Processing, Network International (NI)
• Managed a majority share of NI's portfolio for Issuing & Acquiring clients in the Middle East, and responsible for a $350m P&L portfolio - Emirates NBD Group (ENBD UAE, Emirates Islamic, LIV Digital Bank, ENBD KSA, and ENBD Egypt). Achieved a 70% P&L share of NI's Middle East Issuing revenue.
• Lead strategic programs across Issuing portfolio, advancing card issuance, digital onboarding, and merchant solutions in coordination with regulators, banks, and telcos.
• Led territory management for issuing clients across the GCC (UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), Egypt, Iraq, and Africa (Botswana, Kenya)—building strategic relationships, driving product adoption, and delivering YoY growth through tailored engagement and regulatory alignment.
• Drive GCC fintech ecosystem growth by shaping Network's strategy for embedded finance, digital wallets, and Banking-as-a-Service—aligning partner selection with scalable monetization models and mkt penetration.
• Increased profitability from account base and developed Go-to-Market plans and account strategies.
• Acted as a strategic advisor to Issuing & Acquiring clients - enhancing satisfaction, loyalty, and wallet share.
• Transitioned client portfolios from traditional infrastructure to 'API first' platforms through thought leadership.
• Leveraged CxO-level relationships to integrate NI's service offerings with client institutions.
• Re-negotiated commercials for contract renewals, ensuring account profitability.