Dubai, UAE, October 2026: Mashreq, a leading financial institution in the MENA region, has announced the appointment of Rajeev Bhatnagar as Group Chief Risk Officer.
In his new role, Rajeev will lead the Group’s Risk Management function, working closely with the Board Risk Committee, Executive Committee, and business leadership teams to strengthen Mashreq’s risk governance, risk culture, and risk management capabilities, while supporting the Bank’s strategic growth ambitions within its approved risk appetite.
Commenting on the appointment, Ahmed Abdelaal, Group Chief Executive Officer of Mashreq, said, “We are delighted to welcome Rajeev to Mashreq. Strong risk management is fundamental to how we grow sustainably, deploy capital with confidence, and build resilience for the long term. As the financial landscape becomes more complex and interconnected, having the right risk capabilities and leadership is critical to supporting our ambitions. Rajeev brings more than three decades of experience across risk, compliance, and business leadership at some of the world’s leading and highly regulated financial institutions, and his international perspective and depth of expertise will be invaluable as we continue to grow and navigate an evolving risk environment.”
Rajeev Bhatnagar, Group Chief Risk Officer at Mashreq, said, “The banking ecosystem is changing rapidly, shaped by advances in technology, evolving business models, and increasingly linked, multi-dimensional risks. The role of risk is therefore not simply to respond to change, but to anticipate it, and help the organisation navigate it with clarity and discipline. I am excited to join Mashreq and look forward to working with colleagues across the Group to build on its strong foundations and contribute to its continued success.”
Prior to joining Mashreq, Rajeev was based in London, serving as Chief Risk and Compliance Officer International at The Bank of New York Mellon (BNY). He was responsible for risk and compliance oversight across the bank’s international footprint, covering clients in more than 100 countries. He also held the parallel role of Chief Risk and Compliance Officer for Global Payments and Trade Finance, and previously served in interim global leadership positions, including Global Chief Compliance and Ethics Officer.
Earlier in his career, Rajeev held senior risk leadership roles at Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Citigroup, leading teams and managing risk across multiple geographies and business lines. His experience spans financial and non-financial risk disciplines, large-scale transformation initiatives, and digital and emerging risk oversight.
Rajeev holds a postgraduate diploma in Management from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from G. B. Pant University.
