Hashim Shawa joined Bank of Palestine as Chairman/ General Manager in 2007 leading the growth journey of the bank through institutionalization, financial inclusion, and digitization.

The Bank is the leading financial entity in the country with an asset size of USD 6.5 billion. The Bank is internationally recognized for its values-based banking focusing on sustainability/ESG with a 50/50 gender balance including board of directors’ level being the first bank in MENA to do so.

The group includes Arab Islamic Bank, PalPay, AlWasata Brokerage and Qudra Renewable Energy. Bank of Palestine provides integrated services in Retail, Corporate, SME, & Digital through 100 branches covering Palestine with representative offices in Dubai and Santiago Chile.

As Founder/Chairman of Ibtikar Fund in 2016, Mr. Shawa established the first VC Fund in Palestine, raising over $40m and investing in Tech Startups putting digital Palestine on the global map.

The Bank recently established Intersect Innovation Hub the largest network of safe modern incubation co-working spaces.

Mr. Shawa is a graduate of University College, London beginning his banking career at Citigroup in 1997 holding various management positions in Corporate/Private Banking in the UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and GCC. In 2005, he joined HSBC in Switzerland as director of the group's Middle East and North Africa business.

Mr. Shawa is a member of the Emerging Markets Advisory Council, the International Institute of Finance, Washington DC, the World Bank Advisory Council on Gender Development and the World Economic Forum. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of Bethlehem University and the boards of Pharmacare & APIC.