KARACHI: Mashreq Pakistan, part of Mashreq, one of the leading financial institutions in the MENA region, has announced the appointment of Muhammad Umar Ilyas as Chief Information Officer for its Pakistan operations.
The bank said the appointment reinforces its continued investment in technology, innovation and digital banking capabilities in Pakistan.
Ilyas brings more than 22 years of experience in technology leadership, digital transformation and large-scale IT operations across the telecommunications and financial services sectors. He has led enterprise-wide transformations, built high-performing teams and delivered future-ready technology ecosystems.
In his most recent leadership roles at PTCL Group and Ubank, Ilyas led data centre strategy, deployment and operations, cloud transformation and complex core banking transformation programmes, including digital banking platforms and allied applications.
The bank said he has also driven large-scale digitalisation initiatives, managed complex technology landscapes and delivered solutions across internal operations and customer-facing platforms.
As Chief Information Officer, Ilyas will advance Mashreq Pakistan’s digital transformation agenda, strengthen its technology platforms and innovation capabilities, and accelerate the adoption of technologies including cloud, artificial intelligence and advanced analytics to deliver a digital-first banking experience.
Commenting on the appointment, Muhammad Hamayun Sajjad, Chief Executive Officer, Mashreq Pakistan, said: “As Mashreq continues to strengthen its presence in Pakistan, technology will remain central to how we scale responsibly, securely and efficiently.”
He said the appointment reflected the bank’s long-term commitment to building strong local capabilities while continuing to deliver a banking experience that is modern, dependable and aligned with the expectations of customers in Pakistan.
Speaking on his appointment, Muhammad Umar Ilyas said: “Mashreq has built a strong reputation for combining innovation with operational discipline across markets. Pakistan’s banking sector is entering an important phase of digital growth and there is considerable opportunity to strengthen the technology foundations that will shape customer experience, operational resilience and future scalability. I look forward to contributing to this journey alongside the team.”
Ilyas holds a Certified CTO credential from UC Berkeley in the United States, a certification in CIO Practices from the National University of Singapore, a Master’s degree in Information Security and a Master’s degree in Computer Engineering.
