Standard Chartered announced the appointment of Zarin Daruwala as CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, India, following the appointment of Sunil Kaushal as Regional CEO for Africa and the Middle East.

Zarin is currently President of the Wholesale Banking Group at ICICI Bank, and brings outstanding experience from her 25 years in the industry, having led teams in corporate banking, project finance, structured finance, financial institutions, government and public sector banking, as well as building out ICICI’s rural and agri-finance offering.

Zarin is a qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, one of the top rankers in both ICSI and ICAI courses. She has received many awards in her career, having been named one of the top 25 powerful women in Indian business by Fortune magazine and separately by Business Today, the Chartered Accountant Business Achiever (by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants) and the President’s Gold Medal winner (Company Secretary programme).  She regularly speaks at top tier forums and is part of leading industry committees.

Commenting on the appointment, Ajay Kanwal, Regional CEO, ASEAN & South Asia said: “I am delighted Zarin Daruwala is joining Standard Chartered. With outstanding experience and relationships from more than 25 years in the industry, and her proven ability to deliver superior financial performance, Zarin is perfectly placed to seize the huge opportunities we see in India. I’m confident Zarin will build on our more than 150 years of history and our leading position as India’s largest foreign bank.”

Zarin will be based in Mumbai and report to Ajay Kanwal, Regional CEO, ASEAN & South Asia. Anurag Adlakha will continue as Acting CEO, India, alongside his existing responsibilities as CFO, India, until Zarin takes up her appointment (subject to regulatory approval).