Bishr Ibrahim Baker appointed EY Markets leader for MENA

EY has appointed former Jordan, Iraq, and Syria managing partner Bishr Ibrahim Baker as its new Markets leader for the Middle East & North Africa. Meanwhile, the firm has admitted 733 new partners worldwide, including 275 promotions in its Europe, Middle East, India and Africa division.

Global professional services firm Ernst & Young has announced the appointment of audit veteran Bishr Ibrahim Baker as its new Markets leader for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – effective from the beginning of this month. Baker has altogether three decades of audit and transactions experience and has been with EY for over 17 years, previously serving as managing partner for the firm’s Jordan, Iraq, and Syria practice.

“Bishr has been instrumental in establishing and building the presence of EY across a number of MENA markets, said MENA Chairman and CEO Abdulaziz Al-Sowailim, adding that EY has become the largest professional services firm in Jordan and Iraq under Baker’s leadership. “He has been a central figure in implementing the EY market segment model in the region, connecting global and MENA leaders to accelerate growth in key sectors and frontier markets.”

Baker will now be tasked with overseeing the firm’s local growth strategy and strengthening its regional sector agenda and solutions offerings across key segments such as Government and the Public Sector, Financial Services, Real Estate, Hospitality and Construction, Energy, and Consumer and Technology, Media, and Entertainment – including in the areas of digital transformation and innovation.

“EY has transformed over the years and I am proud of the way we have been able to adapt to the ever-changing needs of our MENA clients and the countries that we operate in,” said Baker, describing the region as full of opportunities. “The boundaries between sectors as well as geographies have become blurred with the rise of technology and we are fully focused on how innovation and digital can drive growth.”

Baker’s appointment follows that of Mathew Benson as the firm’s new Transaction Advisory Services leader for MENA at the beginning of the month, while in the back half of last year Khurram Mian and Wasim Khan were named respectively Assurance and Advisory Services leaders for the region. Sitting within the firm’s Europe, Middle East, India and Africa geography, the greater region has also recently welcomed a new head in Julie Teigland.

In addition, the firm’s leadership team in Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa has been further bolstered by the admittance of 275 new partners – the lion’s share (38 percent) of the 733 added globally in EY’s primary annual partnership round. In total, one third of the new partners serve in emerging markets, while 30 percent globally are women and just under that ratio are from the firm’s audit division.

“Congratulations to all the new partners around the world on this exceptional career milestone,” said EY Global Chairman and CEO Carmine Di Sibio, who took over the top job at the start of the month. “The growth and success of our organisation are made possible by the contributions of this diverse group of leaders who represent our values, lead high-performing teams and help EY clients navigate disruption every day.”