Emirates NBD, a leading bank in the region, has won multiple accolades at the Gulf Business Industry Awards, walking away with some of the most coveted awards including, ‘Banking Company of the Year,’ ‘Banking CEO of the Year,’ and ‘Gulf Business CEO of the Year.’

The third annual Gulf Business Industry Awards were presented at a distinguished ceremony held yesterday, September 15, 2014, in Dubai, attended by senior business leaders from both public and private sectors in the GCC. Hosted by Gulf Business, the Gulf Business Industry Awards are judged by an independent panel consisting of industry leaders and specialist experts along with the magazine’s editorial team.

Emirates NBD won ‘Banking Company of the Year’ award in recognition of the solid financial and operational performance that the bank has showcased in the past year. The achievement is also a testimony to Emirates NBD’s concerted focus on product and service innovation as well as exemplary customer experience, further reinforcing Emirates NBD’s standing as the bank of choice for customers, employees and shareholders.

The Banking Company of the Year award was received by Hesham Abdulla Al Qassim Vice Chairman, Emirates NBD Group and Shayne Nelson Group Chief Executive Officer. On receiving the award, Al Qassim commented, “We are delighted to be named Bank of the Year. This recognition is a tribute to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai as well as the leadership of our Chairman, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. I also commend the strategic direction and support from the members of the Emirates NBD board.

“This significant recognition for Emirates NBD further validates our reputation as an innovation-led, customer-focused bank that is indisputably a market leader in the region. It is truly gratifying to be continuously awarded the best bank, which demonstrates our hard work to hone products, operations and service levels. Last but not the least, the recognition we won tonight is also a tribute to the talent of Emirates NBD team and our relentless efforts to rank ourselves second to none,” continued Al Qassim.

At the awards ceremony, Group Chief Executive Officer Shayne Nelson won two individual awards: ‘Banking CEO of the Year’ as well as the overall ‘Gulf Business CEO of the Year’.

“I am humbled by the personal recognition amidst some of the leading business personalities in the GCC,” said Nelson. “Firstly, I would like to acknowledge and thank the esteemed Emirates NBD board for their guidance and support. I am fortunate to work with a team of exceptionally talented and professional industry experts committed to continually improve and raise the bar on banking in the region. With their support, I hope to continue to consolidate Emirates NBD’s market leading position.”

Nelson was appointed Group CEO of Emirates NBD in November 2013, and since then he has successfully managed the bank’s legacy issues while preparing a solid platform for future growth. He has been instrumental in setting up a performance culture with accountability and has restructured management and governance at the leadership level, bringing in new faces and experienced talent into key positions. He has also focused on strengthening the risk management and compliance functions within the Group. Alongside, there has been renewed focus on profitable growth and solving problem loans. The results of some of the initiatives are now visible with revenues for first half of 2014 growing by 27%, while profits increased by 30%.

The prestigious recognition at the Gulf Business Industry awards is the latest in a series of accolades received by the bank. Earlier this year, Emirates NBD was named the ‘Best Regional Bank of the Year’ award by IFR Middle East (Thomson Reuters), ‘Best Local Bank – UAE’ by Euromoney, and ‘Best Consumer Internet Bank – UAE’ by Global Finance, making it a clean sweep for the bank in 2014.