Ali Reza Iftekhar has been honored as the first ever winner of the prestigious Kotler CEO of the Year Award 2023 in Bangladesh by Kotler Impact Inc., and the Singapore based prestigious World Business Outlook magazine conferred him the Best Banking CEO of the Year Bangladesh 2022. The longest serving top executive of Bangladesh banking industry, Mr. Iftekhar is an ardent promoter of sustainable growth. As the Managing Director & CEO of EBL, he has successfully introduced international best practices and ethical banking and transformed the organization into a leading financial brand in the country. Under his leadership, the bank has achieved many a laurel including the Bank of the Year awarded by the Banker Magazine for two consecutive years, Best Retail Bank in Bangladesh awarded by The Asian Banker for six consecutive years, Euromoney Best Bank in Bangladesh for three consecutive years, Asiamoney Best Corporate and Investment Bank of Bangladesh for four consecutive years, FinanceAsia Best Bank of Bangladesh in 2017 and 2019, the IFC Global Award for the Best Partner for Working Capital Systemic Solution, ICSB National Award for Corporate Governance Excellence, the Best Financial Institution 2010 at the DHL-Daily Star Bangladesh Business Award.

He led the Association of Bankers, Bangladesh (ABB), a forum of managing directors of Bangladesh’s scheduled banks, for two terms 2020-21 and 2014-2015.

An achiever throughout his career spanning over three decades, he was awarded CEO of the Year 2012 at Asian HR Leadership Award held in Dubai and the World Business Outlook magazine awarded him the Best Banking CEO of the Year 2022 of Bangladesh.