First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has elevated Abhishek Manathkar as Vice President – Strategic Client Unit, marking a key addition to its transformation-led growth strategy.
Based in Abu Dhabi, Manathkar assumed his new role in April 2026. He will focus on strengthening client-centric initiatives while driving value realisation across the bank’s strategic portfolio.
Proven track record in banking transformation and consulting
Manathkar brings over four years of experience across banking, financial services, and IT. He has consistently delivered large-scale transformation programmes, with a strong emphasis on operational efficiency, cost optimisation, and digital adoption.
Before this elevation, he served as AVP – Value & Reporting in FAB’s Transformation Office. During this period, he led value tracking initiatives and supported enterprise-wide transformation programs.
Earlier, he worked with Accenture as a Management Consultant. There, he contributed to transformation office setups, cloud migration strategies, and vendor management frameworks. As a result, he built deep expertise in enterprise transformation and value delivery.
Experience spans NatWest Group and early career in technology
Prior to consulting, Manathkar held multiple roles at NatWest Group. Notably, he served as Senior Transformation Manager, where he led mortgage transformation initiatives and managed cross-functional teams.
He also drove workforce planning and budgeting for large-scale operations. Moreover, he implemented digital transformation projects using technologies such as RPA, AI, and machine learning.
He began his career at Cognizant as a Programmer Analyst, where he worked on banking technology projects and process optimisation.
Academic background and certifications
Manathkar holds an MBA in Finance from Xavier Institute of Management Bhubaneswar. In addition, he has earned certifications in Lean Six Sigma, Scrum Product Ownership, and Bloomberg Market Concepts.
Strategic role aligned with FAB’s growth ambitions
With this appointment, FAB aims to deepen its focus on strategic client relationships and transformation-led value creation. Manathkar’s combined expertise in consulting and banking operations is expected to support the bank’s long-term growth agenda.
