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Abdallah El Izmirli

@abdallahelizmirli

Message

I lead banking transformation programs, digital bank launches, and core banking modernization.

Bahrain

Message

At Bank ABC, I lead a $15M+ Temenos core banking transformation and oversee a $10M+ portfolio spanning data management, cloud migration, platform rollout, and delivery recovery.

Previously, I was a founding member of ila Bank, Bahrain's first fully digital bank, where I built the Customer vertical from inception. I delivered the operating model, contact centre setup, team capability, service workflows, and Salesforce CRM, DocuSign, and MoEngage platforms.

At Arab Financial Services, I co-founded the fintech division and delivered a national digital wallet that reached 100K+ users within six months. My earlier leadership at American Express and Standard Chartered covered portfolio performance, predictive analytics, credit-card transformation, pricing, loyalty, auto loans, and operational-risk transformation across MENA.

I also teach project management, Agile delivery, digital transformation, and design thinking to banking professionals at BIBF, and I build AI-enabled products, including the GutCheck health logging app.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Group Senior Delivery and IT Project Manager

Current

Bank ABC

May 2023 - Present (3 years 3 months)

Led the $15M+ Temenos core banking transformation, managing business, technology, vendor, testing, risk and executive workstreams across 150+ stakeholders within CXO-chaired steering forums. Overseeing a $10M+ portfolio of strategic enterprise initiatives covering data management, cloud migration, platform rollout and delivery recovery.

Core Banking Program Management Portfolio Management Vendor Management Risk Management Stakeholder Management Executive Reporting RAID EPM SIT UAT Performance Testing Load Testing Penetration Testing Temenos

Head of CRM and Founding Member

ila Bank

Jan 2019 - May 2023 (4 years 4 months)

Founding member of an award-winning digital challenger bank, helping build the operating, technology and customer delivery foundations from inception. Delivered the full Customer vertical, including target operating model, contact centre technology setup, team hiring and training, service workflows and Salesforce CRM implementation.

Salesforce Docusign CRM Customer Engagement Digital Banking Agile Team Management Contact Centres Service Operations

Head of Fintech Delivery

Arab Financial Services

Jan 2018 - Jan 2019 (1 year)

Co-founded the fintech division and delivered a national digital wallet, reaching 100K+ users within 6 months. Managed project and product managers monitoring and optimizing delivery performance.

Fintech Digital Wallets Project Management Product Management Negotiation Blockchain RegTech

Regional Head of Marketing & Portfolio Management

American Express

May 2016 - Sep 2017 (1 year 4 months)

Collaborated with the VP, Consumer Business and senior colleagues to successfully design and deliver business transformation, redesigning operating structures, streamlining processes and expanding remit to lead both Marketing and Portfolio Management. Managed portfolio performance and predictive analytics across 6 MENA markets.

Marketing Portfolio Management Predictive Analytics Consumer Backlog Management

Senior Manager-Credit Cards and Loans

Standard Chartered

Jun 2008 - May 2016 (7 years 11 months)

Delivered an 18-month credit card transformation, contributing to 20% spend growth and recognition as 'Best Credit Card Business in the Middle East 2014'. Led loyalty transformation, achieving 35% YoY growth in points burn rate.

Credit Cards Loans Pricing Wealth Management Operational Risk Governance Partnerships

AI Product Builder

GutCheck App

Designed, built and launched an Apple App Store health logging app using AI-assisted product delivery. Applied LLMs to structured data extraction and user-facing product features across a codebase exceeding 50K lines.

AI LLM Product Development iOS App Development

Lecturer

Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance

Develop and deliver project management, Agile delivery, digital transformation and design thinking courses to banking professionals, supporting institutional capability building and PMO maturity. Courses delivered to 200+ students, with consistent student and faculty feedback above 90%.

Project Management Agile Digital Transformation Design Thinking Training PMO