Ellis Wang, a Chinese national who was previously a senior director for Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba, has been hired as a senior executive vice president and group head of technology, transformation and information at Mashreq Bank.
The Dubai-based institution is expecting Wang to lead its digital transformation efforts.
“Ellis will work on a strategic vision to deliver enterprise solutions, data and analytics and digital transformation, while future-proofing the organisation and ensuring our IT infrastructure is aligned with our wider strategic objectives,” said Ahmed Abdelaal, the firm’s chief executive.
“Technology remains integral to our aspirations, but it is best deployed when it can demonstrably enhance customer experience.”
His appointment is another example of banks and financial institutions looking outside the financial services industry for its technology executives.
In addition to his time at Alibaba, between 2014 and 2017, Wang also worked at Google, between 2011 and 2014, where he helped develop the first Google Wallet for phones.
More recently he was also chief executive at EJY, a joint venture with the Chinese government to develop a new B2B2C online marketplace for state-owned assets and equities.
“I look forward to working with a dynamic team at Mashreq, especially at a time when digital transformation is the top priority for institutions across the region,” added Wang.
© 2020 funds global mena