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Abu Dhabi: Dunia Group has appointed Chris de Bruin as Chief Executive Officer following the retirement of Rajeev Kakar. Dunia Group, comprises Dunia Finance LLC (dunia), a leading financial services company in the UAE, and Dunia Services FZ LLC, a BPO/KPO company.
Chris de Bruin has over 20 years of experience in financial services, including senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank. He joins Dunia Group from Zafin Labs, where he was responsible for the banking software company’s digital platform and technology.
Salem Rashid Al Noaimi, Chairman of Dunia Group, said: “I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to Rajeev Kakar for the dedication and talent he deployed in building Dunia Group into the business it is today, and I am certain Chris de Bruin will build on that success. Chris has a highly entrepreneurial mindset and brings extensive experience in financial services. The board and I look forward to working closely with him and the senior management team to develop the company further, and solidify its position as a true leader in the industry.”
dunia, which caters to the salaried mass market and mass affluent segments across the UAE, expanded its loan book at a 34.1 percent compounded annual growth rate between 2009 to 2017. The company was established in 2008 through a strategic partnership between Fullerton Financial Holdings, Mubadala Development Company, Waha Capital and A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises.
Chris, who rose through Standard Chartered to become the bank’s global head of retail products and digital, said he believes that the Dunia Group has significant potential to continue its rapid growth.
“I believe that a nimble, and young company such as dunia has a tremendous opportunity to leap ahead of traditional financial services companies, using technology and a culture of excellent customer service to quickly innovate and grow,” Chris said. “dunia has established an impressive footprint across the UAE and, moving forward, the company will now focus on how we deploy data and technology to keep our products and services at the forefront of the industry, reaching more customers while optimizing risk management.”
As at the end of 2017, Dunia Group had 293,500 customers, an increase of 15 percent from a year earlier. The company offers a full-function product range, including secured and unsecured loans, credit cards, financial planning services, deposits, financial guarantees and payroll processing for non-individual customers.
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ABOUT DUNIA FINANCE
Dunia Finance (dunia) is an Abu Dhabi headquartered finance company operating in the UAE. It is a strategic investment and alliance created by a group of leading players namely:
• Mubadala - a wholly owned investment vehicle of the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi
• Fullerton Financial Holdings - a wholly owned subsidiary of Temasek Holdings in Singapore
• Waha Capital – an Abu Dhabi based, ADX-listed investment holding company
• A.A. Al Moosa Enterprises - one of the leading business groups in the UAE
dunia aims to focus nationally on the key Mass Affluent and Mass Market segments in the Consumer Financial services side, and on the SME and Small business customers on the Business Finance side. Through a nationwide presence in the UAE, dunia provides a full-function product range, including secured and unsecured loans, credit cards, financial planning services, deposits, financial guarantees and payroll processing for non-individual customers.
dunia is unique in its use of a customer-centric approach that aims to deliver a differentiated, yet relevant and unique value proposition that caters to the holistic product, convenience, experience, and service expectations of people in the UAE. All this is delivered sustainably and predictably to customers through processes and a proposition that is supported by investment in state-of-the-art technology and capabilities; and through partnerships with service providers who excel in their individual areas of expertise. dunia is led by a senior management team comprising talented and seasoned business leaders with significant global experience.
dunia means 'the world' in Arabic and in several other languages spoken in the UAE. dunia aims to offer its customers a world of opportunities.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Roy Hutchinson, Chief Marketing Officer, Dunia Finance
Email: royhutchinson@dunia.ae
