Mr. R. Seetharaman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Doha Bank was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award 2009 for his outstanding contributions and achievements in Banking Sector during the Bharat Samman - Pravasi Awards. He has also been attributed for bringing glory to his homeland, India, by contributing to Indo-Arab Trade Investment Banking, as a philanthropist and dignified citizen of India, at the Pravasi Divas 2010. Doha Bank is one of the largest private commercial bank in the State of Qatar.
The award was presented to Mr. Seetharaman by Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs at the ceremony held on January 9, 2010 at the Le-Meridian hotel, New Delhi, India. This is a rare honor which is presented to very select individuals from extraordinary efforts and achievements.
Mr. Seetharaman is one of the most respected and experienced bankers in the Middle-East. He is often credited as the reason Doha Bank is the best performing bank in the region. A banker par excellence and a highly sought after economist, Mr. Seetharaman was conferred ‘The Phenomenal Banker Achievers Excellence Award’ in April 2009, selected as the ‘Banker of the year’ in 2007, and conferred the ‘Best CEO in the Middle-East Banking Industry’ title in 2008, alongside many other prestigious awards for his pioneering contributions to the world of banking.
A Chartered Accountant by qualification, Mr. Seetharaman, has more than two decades of experience in banking, information technology and consultancy. Mr. Seetharaman is accredited with transforming the company into the ‘region’s best performing bank’ - a position it now has been sustaining for the past 7 years. Under his leadership, the bank has become an extremely vibrant entity with sustainable performance. Mr. Seetharaman is also very active in promoting the economic cooperation between Qatar and India. He has taken strong initiatives towards showcasing India as an attractive investment destination.
Mr. Seetharaman has scooped a number of prestigious awards during the course of his illustrious career, most recently ‘The Phenomenal Banker Achievers Excellence Award’ in April 2009. He has also been awarded the “Gullands Excellence Award 2008 for Excellence in Banking” by the UK Chapter of NRI Institute World-wide, the “Brand Leadership Award” during the 17th Asia Brand Congress and the “Best CEO in Middle East Banking Industry 2008” conferred by Honorable Dominique de Villepin, Former Prime Minister of France, during the 5th Leading CEO Summit in recognition of his valuable contributions to the Banking industry in the Middle East. He has received a “Certificate of Appreciation” from the USA-Commercial Services attached to USA Government – Commerce Ministry for his tireless efforts and outstanding creativity in promoting US-Qatari trade and financial ties, the “Banker of the Year” title at the 2007 Banker Middle East Industry awards in recognition of his valuable contributions to the Banking industry in the Middle East and “Arab Asian Banker Excellence Award - 2006” at the Annual Arab Asian Forum in Singapore in September 2006. He has been recently listed as the 22nd on Gulf’s most influential expatriates by Arabian Business.
Mr. Seetharaman is highly committed towards social causes such as environmental protection. He has organized a series of environmental seminars across the globe on “Global warming and Climatic challenges” so as to stir awareness about the subject and to advice on steps every corporate and individuals in the society needs to take to conserve the ecological balances of nature. These efforts have been very well appreciated by society, corporate houses and government dignitaries.
He has made a name for himself as one of the most sought after economists in the region and is consulted by and appears regularly on leading media such as CNBC, BBC World, Reuters, Forbes, Dow Jones and Bloomberg. He has also been featured on a host of regional media channels where he shares his opinions and provides expert comments on recent developments and issues in global economics, banking and financial affairs.
Being an Indian national, he is looked upon as a role model by all Indians. Mr. Seetharaman has contributed significantly in enhancing the profile of India at the global stage.
