Sultan Choudhury OBE named ‘Corporate Leader of the Year’

Sultan Choudhury OBE, Al Rayan Bank CEO, has been named ‘Corporate Leader of the Year’ by the English Asian Business Awards.

The awards recognise and commend the rich contribution that professionals and businesses from the British Asian community make to the country. Winners of the English Asian Business Awards are determined by public vote. Mr Choudhury received the accolade during the sixth annual ceremony, which was held last night at the Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel.

The announcement comes just six weeks after Mr Choudhury was named an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, in recognition of his services to Islamic finance.

Of the award, Mr Choudhury said: “The English Asian Business Awards recognise the determination, hard work and personal achievements of Asian businessmen and women in the UK, and to be recognised amongst such a highly regarded group is certainly an honour. This award would not have been possible without the support from the committed and hardworking team at Al Rayan Bank which remains fundamental to the ongoing success of the Bank.”

Al Rayan Bank was established in 2004 and has been a pioneer of British Islamic retail banking. The first wholly Sharia compliant retail bank in the UK, it has earned a reputation for providing innovative products which appeal to people of any faith. In 2016, the Bank was named as the third fastest growing bank in the UK by pre-tax by profits, in a complete financial analysis of all 155 UK incorporated banks*. It serves its 75,000 plus customers through its national branch and office network, its telephone based Contact Centre, and via its online and mobile banking services.

Al Rayan Bank is founded on faith-based, ethical principles which are derived from trade, entrepreneurship and risk-sharing, in which the customer and bank work together as partners towards a mutually profitable end. These principles prohibit the Bank from investing savers’ deposits in unethical activities such as gambling, pornography, tobacco, arms and other commodities not in keeping with the values of Islam.

As an independent UK bank, Al Rayan Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority, regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority and is a member of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

* In 2016, the Bank was named as the third fastest growing bank in the UK by pre-tax by profits, in a complete financial analysis of all 155 UK incorporated banks. Source: Bank League Tables 2017, a complete financial analysis of all 155 UK incorporated banks, Searchline Publishing 2017