Amit Wanchoo

Company: First Gulf Bank (FGB)
Position: Senior executive vice-president and head of retail banking

Biography: Amit Wanchoo launched retail banking at Abu Dhabi-headquartered FGB in 2002.

Since then, the retail business has grown its assets to AED27bn and generated a net profit of AED1.29bn in 2009. Today, the retail banking division is the biggest contributor to FGB’s income. Wanchoo has nearly 30 years of experience across a diverse range of industries and markets, having worked for Unilever, Pepsicola International, Mashreqbank and Citibank in India, the Middle East and Asia Pacific.

He is a graduate of the Asian Institute of Management in Manila, in the Philippines. In March 2007, FGB was granted a licence to operate an Islamic banking retail window and subsequently launched Islamic mortgage lending and personal loan products, as well as a stand-alone Islamic credit card.

FGB has 19 branches in UAE and is looking to open four new branches this year.

Contact: www.fgb.ae