Formerly, Ashar was Partner and global head of Islamic banking practice at EY. He led the firm’s advisory practice to build-out 30 major Islamic financial institutions and national level programs across emerging markets.

Ashar also served as Senior Strategist at the Central Bank of Bahrain where he was responsible for the implementation of financial sector reforms.

Ashar’s network and unique track record of strategy consulting, operational buildout and customer experience roles gives him a holistic understanding of digital influences driving change for the banking industry. He directed set up of a fintech consortium of banks in GCC, consulted boards of Islamic banks on digital transformation and worked alongside management teams on operationalising digital strategies.