Rajeev Kakar

Rajeev Kakar is the Executive Vice President & Regional CEO, for CEEMEA region for Fullerton Financial Holdings (Fullerton), a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, Singapore. As the EVP & a Founder Global Management Board member at Fullerton, he heads the consumer banking business in Pan-Asian markets. Rajeev is also the Founder, Managing Director & CEO of Dunia Finance - a joint venture financial institution between Fullerton Financial Holdings & Mubadala Investment Company. He is also presently a member of the Global Advisory Board of the University of Chicago’s.Booth School of Business.

With over two and a half decades of experience in the banking industry, Rajeev has worked in several global markets, especially in the high-growth, emerging CEEMEA and ASIA-PACIFIC countries.

Between September 2003 and January 2006, he was the Regional Head & CEO for Citibank, managing Turkey, Middle East & Africa region (TMEA). Earlier, in July 2002, Rajeev was Citibank’s CEO for the Turkey & Egypt cluster. Prior to that, in 2000, he was the CEO for Citibank in Egypt, where he launched its Consumer bank, as the first in the market. This was recognized for fastest break-even in Citigroup’s history.

In 1998, Rajeev started a new green-field Joint Venture Captive Finance Company as the Founder, Managing Director & CEO, between Citigroup & Suzuki (Maruti).

• Forbes Middle East’s Top Indian Leader in the UAE 2015
• Forbes Middle East’s Top Indian Leader in the UAE 2014
• Forbes Middle East’s Top CEOs in the Arab World 2014
• Forbes Middle East’s Top Indian Leader in the UAE 2013
• Arabian Business' GCC Power List India Top 100 2013
• ITP Publishing Group's ITP Masala! Awards 2013, “CEO of the Year” Award
• Arabian Business' GCC Power List India Top 100 2012
• Arabian Business' GCC Power List India Top 100 2011
• Arabian Business' GCC Power List India Top 100 2010

• ITP Publishing Group's ITP CEO of the Year for Financial Services Middle East 2009

Rajeev completed a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Marketing from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He also received his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

Rajeev was born and raised in Delhi, India, where he attended St. Columba's School, Delhi from 1970 and 1980.

• Fullerton Financial Holdings (FFH), Singapore - Member of the Global Management Board (2006 – present)
• Dunia Finance, UAE - Founder Managing Director & CEO, Member of Board Risk Committee and Rem & Nom Committee (2008 – present)
• Dunia Services, UAE - Founder Managing Director & CEO on the Board (2012 – present)
• Fullerton India Credit Corporation, India - Member of Board, Board Risk Committee and Audit Committee (2009 – present)
• University of Chicago Booth School of Business - Member of the Global Advisory Board (2009 – present)
• Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), USA - Member of Global Advisory Board (2012 – present)
• S P Jain School of Global Management, UAE – Member of the Industry Advisory Board (2011 – present)
• Indian Institutes of Management (PAN IIM Board), GCC - Member of the Board (2011 – present)
• Great Lakes Institute of Management – Member of Business Advisory Council (2012 – present)
• Visa International - Member on the CEMEA Board (2004 - 2006)
• Mekong Development Bank, Vietnam - Member of Steering Committee (2010 - 2014)
• Adira Dinamika Multi Finance Tbk, Indonesia(subsidiary of Bank Danamon - Member of Board of Commissioners; Member of Board Risk and Board Audit Committees (2010 - 2013)
• Citibank A. Ş, Turkey - Founding Board Member (2003 - 2004)
• Özel Sektör Gönüllüleri Derneği Yönetim Kurulu, Turkey - Board President (2002-2004)

• Citicorp Maruti Finance Ltd., India - Founder Managing Director & CEO (1997-2000)

Based in Dubai, Rajeev is married to wife, Nidhi, with whom he has two daughters, rhea and prerna.