FIMBank has announced the appointment of Howard Gaunt as Group Chief Operating Officer.

Howard Gaunt is a senior banker with a proven track record in strategic development and end-to-end management in major and reputable financial institutions.

Howard Gaunt's banking career spans 31 years in senior national and international assignments with Wells Fargo and Company, Citibank, Citicorp, Citigroup and Samba Financial Group.

Prior to joining FIMBank, he spearheaded Wholesale Banking Group activities in the Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and GCC regions at Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the UAE's third largest bank as measured by assets.

Gaunt's responsibilities at ADCB, which he joined in August 2007, included overseeing the Group's fully-integrated customer coverage business for the UAE's Capital, Al Ain, GCC region and India Linked Businesses.

Under his strategic guidance, the WBG's industry-specific Client Service Teams were consistently ranked 'superior' in terms of their understanding of the clients' needs and in service delivery as determined by nationally recognized industry analysts.

Gaunt has a Bachelor degree in Political Science and International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC), and is a Certified Investment Manager, CIMC, with the Investment Management Consultants Association, IMCA.

Commenting on the appointment FIMBank CEO Murali Subramanian explained that the addition of a senior executive of Gaunt's stature to the management team reflects FIMBank's commitment to further strengthen its leadership structure, at a time when the Group is pursuing its consolidation strategy to turnaround the core operating business. "We are glad to welcome Howard as a member of our team. We are confident that his extensive experience and expertise will prove invaluable, especially at what is an eventful time for the Group, as we continue directing FIMBank along the road to sustainable profitability and the growth of our core operating businesses", said Subramanian