Al Rayan Bank (UK) strengthens senior sales team

Al Rayan Bank, one of the fastest growing banks in the UK*, has created two new senior sales roles – Head of Branches & Retail Deposits and Head of Retail Asset Sales – to support its current and future growth. Saquib Ismail, former Senior Sales Manager becomes the Bank’s Head of Branches & Retail Deposits and will directly manage the Branch Network and Direct Liabilities team. Sagheer Malik, also previously a Senior Sales Manager becomes its Head of Retail Asset Sales, and will manage residential property finance, including Home Purchase Plan, Buy To Let Purchase Plan and Expat property finance, through the Bank’s face to face, direct and intermediary channels.

Messrs Ismail and Malik have over 20 years’ combined experience with Al Rayan Bank and have played an important role in its unprecedented recent growth. In the past twelve months, the Bank’s retail asset book has increased by 48%, while retail deposits have increased by 36%. The number of customers has increased by more than 10% and new retail offices have been opened in Glasgow and Bradford. These impressive growth achievements culminated in June 2017 when the Bank was named as the ‘Best Fixed Account Provider’ in the UK and was highly commended as ‘Best Overall Savings Provider’ at the prestigious Moneyfacts Awards 2017.

The pair are based in Al Rayan Bank’s operational headquarters in Birmingham; they will continue to report to Simon Walker, Head of Retail Banking.

Saquib Ismail joined Al Rayan Bank 10 years ago and has 20 years’ experience in all areas of banking involving finance and savings. He said, “I’m honoured to be able to continue my career within an organisation which has such strong ethical values and puts the customer at the heart of all of its activities. My job is to bring a clear and driven focus to achieve the Bank’s targets in relation to retail deposits through our key distribution channels, branches, telephony and online, with an opportunity to oversee a continuous improvement in the customer journey and customer service.”

Sagheer Malik joined the Bank in 2004 and gained experience in various positions including Call Centre Manager, Intermediary Manager and Senior Sales Manager. Commenting on his new role with the Bank Sagheer said, “I’m delighted to be able to help drive forward the Bank’s strategy by aligning the retail asset sales arms to continue the significant recent growth. In addition to ensuring that Al Rayan Bank remains the leading Islamic finance provider in the UK, I am keen to help establish the Bank as the leading provider of expat finance for Britons throughout the world, who are looking to invest in property back home, especially those working in the Middle East, Far East and Australia.”

Sultan Choudhury, CEO, Al Rayan Bank, said: “I’d like to congratulate Saquib and Sagheer on their new roles. They join a talented and experienced senior management team and I am confident that they will continue to be a vital part of the future success of Al Rayan Bank.”

Al Rayan Bank has been a pioneer of British retail Islamic banking since it was founded in 2004. The oldest and the largest Sharia compliant retail bank in the UK, it has earned a reputation for providing innovative products which appeal to people of any faith.

Al Rayan Bank has been named one of the best Islamic banks in the world by Global Finance magazine as in its annual list of the World’s Best Islamic Financial Institutions, and by Trade Finance Global as the Best Islamic Finance Services in Western Europe.

As an independent UK bank, Al Rayan Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and is a member of Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

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* Bank League Tables 2017, a complete financial analysis of all 155 UK incorporated banks, Searchline Publishing 2017