Chief Financial Officer at FNB (Islamic Banking)
At the young age of 32, Omar Baker’s remarkable track record and leadership skills earned him a promotion to the position of CFO at FNB Islamic Banking. Within his role Omar serves as the diversity champion and chairs the Financial Resources Management Committee (FRM) at FNB Islamic.
Omar is a results-driven leader with a proven track record of success in driving growth and implementing strategy. His leadership skills have been honed through years of experience in the industry and being confident in his ability to inspire and motivate teams to achieve their best. This has contributed to FNB winning the ‘Strongest Islamic Retail Banking Window in Africa’ in 2022 and most recently the award for ‘Best Islamic Banking Window 2023’ presented by the prestigious Global Islamic Finance Awards.
What drives Omar’s passion in this role is the involvement and opportunity to provide a credible alternative form of finance and banking that is not only for those who follow the Islamic faith but is available to one and all who choose. Being a CFO in this business requires innovation to deal with complex treasury and product structures as well as integrate and align the financial reporting elements into FirstRand.
In addition to his corporate responsibilities Omar also runs his own successful business, OAB Chartered Accountants, which experienced substantial growth over the past two years. Not only does OAB Chartered Accountants fuel his passion for accounting, it also allows him to give back to the community by providing accounting services to people in his community and assisting small businesses to grow and thrive. His position as a CA(SA) and a tax practitioner, as well as his position in the bank, often involves great responsibility, as people often require his expertise and guidance in both their individual and business capacities.
Omar remains actively engaged in marking for institutions like Milpark Education, APT and SAICA APC. This gives him the opportunity to give back to the profession as well as stay up to date and keep abreast of the latest developments and technical aspects impacting the profession.
Furthermore, he is a regular volunteer at the South African Islamic College where he offers tutoring and financial service assistance. Learners often approach him for assistance with understanding various concepts and their application thereof. This gives him personal fulfilment and satisfaction from contributing towards a greater cause.
Over and above career success, his most valuable achievement is his family. Apart from his wife and two-year-old son, Omar’s parents have motivated him to achieve success. Instilling principles of integrity and resilience in his son is his legacy.
