The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) for the Middle East and North Africa region honored Nevine Loutfy, Managing Director and CEO of the National Bank for Development (NBD) in cooperation with Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), for winning Best Woman in the Corporate Sector as part of its Annual MENA award program that recognizes pioneering women in the corporate world. Ms. Nevine Loutfy received the award at a ceremony held in Tunisia by the American Chamber of Commerce in the presence of candidates from 6 Arab countries: Tunisia, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco. The AmCham Women Award recognizes pioneering women from the Middle East and the North Africa region, whose achievements have set the benchmark in their respective fields in the Arab world and who have demonstrated strong dedication with outstanding contributions to their institutions towards tangible success that reflects positively on the economies of these countries as the region begins to recover from the implications of the Arab Spring. AmCham has set strict conditions and criteria for the award winner, including a strong commitment to work, holding a leading position in the organization or company to which they belong, achieving outstanding contributions in their field with a positive impact on the sector in which they operate, assisting in developing employee skills, having full integrity and innovation in operation. Commenting on the award, Nevine Loutfy stated, “First and foremost I would like to thank everyone who has nominated me for the award and I dedicate it to all women in the Arab world and Africa. This valuable award increases my sense of responsibility towards work and encourages me to continue to exert exceptional effort. I would also like to thank all my colleagues in NDB and ADIB for their efforts and committed contributions in the development and transformation of the bank to reach its current position" She stressed, “Our communities are in need of sincere efforts that help boost development during this critical stage as we overcome the implications of the events witnessed by the region. This requires all community members to exert more effort in their work and encourages the active participation of women to positively yield in all economic, social and political fields." Nevine Loutfy has received this award for her efforts in her current position since 2008 as Managing Director, CEO and acting Chairman of the National Bank for Development, through which she is leading the development process of the bank and transforming it into a fully Islamic Shari'a compliant institution. . Additionally, she plays an active role in strengthening its position as a financial institution that places customer needs at the top of its priorities. Nevine Loutfy is leading the restructuring of the bank through a well-balanced strategic plan that aims to increase its market share and reinforce its financial position. She also contributed strongly to developing and strengthening the bank's infrastructure as well as developing its network of 70 branches spread across the country. Moreover, she constantly stresses the importance of human resources as a key element and major factor in the success of the institutional work, which is reflected in her commitment to enhance and improve the skills of employees in line with the latest technology and banking techniques to create a modern Shari'a compliant banking model in the Egyptian banking market. As a result, for the second consecutive year, the bank received the “Best Islamic Bank in Egypt" award through a global survey for the best Islamic banks conducted by Islamic Finance New (IFN) in December 2011. An essential cornerstone in Nevine Loutfy's working policy is her keenness to meet the demands of existing customers and attract a wide range of new customers through the launch of innovative banking products that cater to their diverse needs and that are compliant with the principles of Islamic Shari'a. Nevine Loutfy is an expert banker who holds a BA in Economics from the American University in Cairo. She carries an extensive and diverse banking experience spanning more than 30 years, during which she has taken on many managerial positions in the corporate sector, SMEs, retail banking and capital and credit risk management. Nevine Loutfy began her banking career when she joined Citibank in March 1976 as a financial analyst for the bank in Cairo. Later on she held a number of positions in Citigroup based in London for Europe, the Middle East and Africa where the last two positions she presumed were the Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director.
