Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Accomplishments
Certification
LANGUAGES
Timeline
Training
Generic
Bassam Izzat Hamzeh

Bassam Izzat Hamzeh

Jeddah

Summary

A highly accomplished and versatile Financial & Banking Professional with over 23 years of experience across the GCC, Middle East, and South Asia. I have a proven track record in both conventional and Islamic finance, working with private and multilateral financial institutions.

My expertise spans a wide range of critical banking functions, including:

  • Credit & Risk Management: Corporate, Commercial, and SME Relationship Management; Credit Risk Review; and Credit Administration.
  • Portfolio & Remedial Management: Proactively managing diverse credit portfolios and handling remedial management for distressed accounts.
  • Specialized Finance: Trade Finance and Project Finance.
  • Leadership & Business Operations: Financial Management (Analysis, Budgeting, and Reporting), Treasury Management, and Marketing.

Known for being an effective team leader and cross-cultural collaborator, I excel at motivating staff and building strong relationships with colleagues and superiors. My leadership style is defined by a demonstrated ability to consistently meet and exceed organizational goals.

I am now seeking a challenging leadership role within a respected financial institution or bank to leverage my extensive experience and drive continued success.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification

Work History

Lead Principal, Special Operations

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
03.2023 - Current
  • Managing, negotiating, and resolving non-performing loans and distressed equity investments to maximize recovery values, minimize losses, and protect ICD’s interests Monitoring the Term Finance investment portfolio to identify any requirements by the client, amendments, request and escalate it (present it) to the respective authorized Committee.
  • Develop and execute strategies for recovering non-performing assets. This includes negotiating restructuring terms and overseeing the disposal of assets to optimize recovery.
  • Lead negotiations for financing and restructuring distressed loans and equity. Manage the liquidation, dissolution, or share surrender processes for non-performing assets.
  • Regularly report to the SOD management and recommend committees on the status of distressed asset management. Provide detailed analysis and recommendations on potential risks and asset impairments. Detecting potential early warning signals that may impact the credit quality of the assigned portfolio.
  • Act as the primary point of contact for internal and external stakeholders involved in resolving distressed assets. Maintain proactive communication with various business units and the Legal and Compliance Department.
  • Ensure efficiency in asset recovery and coordinate with the Legal and Compliance Department to mitigate legal and reputational risks. Maintain high levels of stakeholder satisfaction.
  • Coordinating with Business Solutions, Risk Management, and Legal and Compliance Departments on various matters, including risk assessments and legal strategies.
  • During the last 2 years I managed to collect USD 34 Million
  • Currently, I serve as a Board Member representing ICD in Palestine Ijara Company (Palestine) since November 2018 till present.

Principal Portfolio Manager

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
09.2018 - 02.2023
  • Managing client and investee company relationships, overseeing a portfolio of corporate debt and public-private partnerships (PPP) to ensure smooth operations.
  • Monitoring portfolio performance by conducting regular reviews and site visits to ensure credit quality and identify any potential issues or early warning signals.
  • Identifying and recommending new investment opportunities and actively reposition the existing portfolio to achieve growth and create value.
  • Escalating client requests, amendments, or issues to the appropriate committees for approval.
  • Overseeing and implementing exit strategies for investee companies and ensure loan repayments are on schedule, taking corrective action for delays.
  • Stay informed on market and sector trends, including regulatory changes and industry reports, to proactively manage the portfolio.
  • Collaborating with internal teams to measure the developmental impact of projects and ensure all activities adhere to company policies and agreements.

Sr. Associate

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
07.2017 - 10.2018
  • Assess and approve requests for waivers, amendments, and changes to legal agreements, contracts, and security packages related to loan restructurings and other transactions.
  • Review requests for credit facility disbursements and create approval notes for the Head of Risk Management, ensuring they align with credit policies.
  • Verify that all facility documentation is complete, accurate, and in compliance with the approved terms, including the financing amount, conditions, and authorized signatories.
  • Evaluate monitoring reports from business departments and approve risk ratings to ensure borrowers are meeting all financial and reporting covenants.
  • Supervise all aspects of collateral, including monitoring, inspecting, and valuing assets, and ensuring that all documentation and insurance coverage are valid and sufficient.
  • Prepare and submit regular risk reports to management to help them monitor the overall credit quality, identify trends, and ensure compliance with risk limits.
  • Identify and review non-performing accounts for irregularities and work with the Business Department to ensure timely corrective action is taken according to credit policy.

Financial & Treasury Manager

Tawasi Group
03.2016 - 03.2017
  • Responsible for the timely and accurate preparation and distribution of all financial and accounting reports, ensuring they comply with Tawasol Group guidelines and IFRS.
  • Ensuring that there are sufficient funds to meet all commitments by effectively managing the company's working capital.
  • Overseeing the entire credit granting process, including setting credit policies, reviewing existing customers, and assessing new customers to minimize bad debt.
  • Managing and controlling capital acquisitions through proper financial planning and maintains fixed asset registers for all departments and locations.
  • Providing timely analysis of financial results, comparing them against budgets and forecasts, and offers recommendations for improvement.
  • Exercising control over the finance department's performance by tracking and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure agreed-upon standards are met.
  • Developing and implementing policies to meet audit requirements and manages the company's banking activities and relationships with other financial service providers.


Sr. Manager

TaxCon Ltd
09.2014 - 02.2016
  • Preparing comprehensive credit file for customers by assessing their creditworthiness and proposing a suitable structure of credit limits that aligns with their needs.
  • Managing the customer's relationships with various external funding sources, including banks, installment companies, and leasing companies.
  • Handling the ongoing administration and maintenance of existing credit facilities, providing banks with necessary documents, financial forecasts, and analysis to support renewals, new requests, or amendments.
  • Analyzing a customer's performance, financial position, and various risks (credit, market, and operational) to optimize their financial structure and prevent solvency issues.
  • Reviewing and negotiates facility contracts and terms on behalf of clients to ensure they meet their requirements.
  • monitoring customer loan repayment schedules and facility payments, ensuring compliance with agreements and reporting any covenant breaches.
  • Managing essential banking documentation, such as signature mandates and account operations, while also maintaining good relations with banks to ensure smooth transactions.

Credit Manager

National Bank of Bahrain (NBB)
07.2011 - 07.2014
  • Prepare high-quality credit reviews, ensure timely approvals, and obtain all necessary documentation before valid limits expire.
  • Maintain a high standard of credit administration to uphold the bank's credit rating and comply with external audit and regulatory requirements.
  • Enhance staff skills through on-the-job training and by assigning staff to suitable courses to improve their productivity.
  • Ensure timely regularization of all credit excesses and adhere to all stipulated policies and procedures to avoid negative audit findings.
  • Thoroughly vet all complex documentation for corporate accounts to ensure the bank's assets are adequately protected.
  • :Properly manage the agency desk, follow up on covenants, and highlight any deviations in credit applications.
  • Prepare market and sector studies to identify potential business opportunities and risks, and review credit policies regularly to adapt to environmental changes.

Relationship Manager

Arab National Bank
11.2008 - 06.2011
  • Managing daily transactions and financial facilities for commercial clients in the contracting, manufacturing, and trading sectors.
  • Meeting with clients to understand their financial needs, develops suitable financing structures, and documents these meetings in call reports.
  • Processing client requests for facility renewals, limit increases, changes to terms and conditions, special transactions, and financing for capital expenditures (CAPEX).
  • Creating detailed credit proposals that analyze the client's financial history, position, and cash flow, as well as the risks and mitigants associated with the requested facilities.
  • Presenting client requests to senior committees to secure the necessary approvals for credit.
  • Conducting regular market reviews to identify new trends and opportunities and provides expert advice on specialized products to clients.
  • Portfolio Growth: Achieved substantial growth in the loan portfolio, increasing it from SAR 230 million to SAR 620 million in two years, and generated a profit (RORA) of SAR 18.5 million.

Head Office, Credit Officer

Arab Bank PLC
09.2004 - 10.2008
  • Providing accurate analysis and research to support domestic and international branches, handling routine queries and transaction instructions.
  • Assessing credit requests from relationship managers (RMs), including requests for distressed accounts. This involves evaluating submitted documents and creditworthiness to recommend and justify granting facilities.
  • Presenting credit cases from regional management to the Intermediate Credit Committee (ICC) and Joint Credit Committee (JCC) based on their specific lending authorities.
  • Proposing and participating in discussions on changes to credit policy.
  • Responsible for monitoring and controlling the bank's credit portfolio, which includes SME, commercial, and corporate clients across all the bank's countries.
  • Ensure the existence, validity, and legality of all facility limits, loan and security documentation, and collateral to secure the bank's position and minimize risk.
  • Reviewing reports, such as past dues and excesses over limits, to identify potentially problematic accounts and recommends their classification based on the bank's criteria.

Education

MSc Program - Islamic Finance

General Council For Islamic Banks And Financial Institutions (CIBAFI)
Manama - Bahrain
06-2016

MSc Program - Finance

Jordan University
01.2008

Bachelor's Degree - Finance & Banking Science

Hashemite University
Jordan
09-2001

Skills

  • Conventional & Islamic Banking

  • Credit Risk Management

  • Credit Administration

  • Credit Portfolio Management

  • Remedial Management

  • Project Financing

  • Contract Financing

  • Trade Finance

  • Financial Management and Reporting

  • Financial Analysis

  • Team Leadership and People Management Skills

  • Problem Solving

  • Effective Negotiation

  • Communication Skills

  • Ability to Work under pressure and meet deadlines

  • Ability to Work Professionally with Banking Systems

  • Experience of managing & working with Legal Counsels and Debt Collecting Agencies

Accomplishments

Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector ( ICD)

  • Spearheaded the successful recovery of $34 million in fully-provided non-performing loans (NPLs) during 2023 and 2024, earning the Best Employee Award.
  • As a Board Member for Palestine Ijara Company since November 2018, I led the strategic restructuring of the company, successfully transforming it from a loss-incurring entity to one that has achieved profitability for three consecutive years.
  • Developed and authored the Special Operations Office Policy and Procedures, establishing a clear framework for operational efficiency and governance.


National Bank Of Bahrain ( NBB)

  • Created comprehensive pricing policy guidelines and procedures, enhancing market competitiveness and revenue generation.
  • Managed the complete restructuring of all defaulted retail accounts in KSA, successfully resolving a portfolio valued at SAR 30 million.
  • Amended the Risk Policy & Procedures to ensure full compliance with Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) requirements.
  • Served as a key member of the Branch Credit Committee, providing oversight and making critical decisions on credit appraisals.
  • Contributed to the National Bank of Bahrain KSA achieving profitability for the first time, while maintaining a low non-performing loan (NPL) ratio in its third year of operation.


Arab National Bank ( ANB)

Accelerated loan portfolio growth by 3x in two years, increasing its value from SAR 230 million to SAR 620 million and generating a significant Return on Risk-Adjusted Capital (RORA) of SAR 18.5 million.

Certification

  • Certified Islamic Banker (CIB)
  • Certified Islamic Specialist in Risk Management (CISRM)
  • Certified Islamic Specialist in Trade Finance (CISTF)
  • Certified Credit Professional (CCP) - American Academy of Financial Management (AAFM)
  • Diploma in Credit Analysis (Qyadat Program) - Arab Bank Training Center

LANGUAGES

Arabic
English

Timeline

Lead Principal, Special Operations

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
03.2023 - Current

Principal Portfolio Manager

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
09.2018 - 02.2023

Sr. Associate

Islamic Development Bank Group / ICD
07.2017 - 10.2018

Financial & Treasury Manager

Tawasi Group
03.2016 - 03.2017

Sr. Manager

TaxCon Ltd
09.2014 - 02.2016

Credit Manager

National Bank of Bahrain (NBB)
07.2011 - 07.2014

Relationship Manager

Arab National Bank
11.2008 - 06.2011

Head Office, Credit Officer

Arab Bank PLC
09.2004 - 10.2008

MSc Program - Finance

Jordan University

MSc Program - Islamic Finance

General Council For Islamic Banks And Financial Institutions (CIBAFI)

Bachelor's Degree - Finance & Banking Science

Hashemite University

Training

  • Credit Analysis and Control.
  • Restructuring Problem Credits
  • Corporate Finance-Tools, Risks & Opportunities.
  • Credit Risk Management.
  • Advanced Training Courses covering all Trade Finance Topics and Products (LCs, LGS and Bills of Collection).
  • Risk in Islamic Finance & Credit Risk Management (Basel 1,2 and 3)
  • Islamic Trade Finance.
  • Islamic Capital Markets.
  • Islamic Banking Principles – Corporate Banking.
  • Islamic Trade Finance
  • Financial Analysis
  • Cash Flow Analysis
  • Evaluation of Feasibility Studies.
  • Syndication Loans.
  • Integrate Business English Course (Business Reports Writing)
  • Fundamentals of Banking, Accounting.
  • Anti-Money Laundry.
  • Fundamentals of Financial Legislation.
  • Communication Skills.
  • SAMA Rules & Regulations

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Bassam Izzat Hamzeh