Hisham Alrayes is leading the GFH Financial Group forward towards its vision of becoming the region’s most prominent, diversified financial Group, and one that provides a remarkable platform for delivering superior Wealth Management, Real Estate, Commercial Banking and Asset Management services. Hisham brings extensive expertise and an in-depth knowledge of GFH. He was instrumental in driving the development and execution of the Group’s regional and international investment strategy and managed the bank’s liabilities as Chief Investment Officer prior to his appointment as Group CEO in 2012, and since his appointment as CEO, has driven the development and execution of the Group’s regional and international diversification strategy.
Prior to joining the Group in 2007, Hisham was part of the senior management team of the Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait (‘BBK’), a leading commercial bank in the Kingdom of Bahrain where he was responsible for a number of key projects and new venture initiatives. He currently chairs and holds a number of directorships in financial, Industrial and real estate companies including Esterad Investment Company, Khaleeji Commercial Bank and GFH Capital.
Hisham holds a Master’s degree with honors in Business Administration from the University of DePaul, Chicago (USA), and a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering with honors from the University of Bahrain. Hisham was awarded ‘Banker of the Year’ in the MEA Finance Awards 2020 in recognition of his role in steering the Group’s diversification strategy which has seen the Group expand its business lines and geographic reach, while remaining resilient in the face of unprecedented market conditions. He was also ranked one of the top CEOs in Financial Services & Investments in 2019, and named ‘Investment Bank CEO of the Year’ at CEO Middle East 2019.
