Rick Pudner, the British CEO of Emirates NBD, one of the biggest banks in the UAE, has topped this year's Expat Power List.
The Expat Power List is an annual list compiled by Arabian Business magazine that documents who it finds to be the 50 non-Arabs who hold the most powerful positions in the United Arab Emirates. The list covers a number of sectors where expats are known to have important roles, including business, media and law.
This year's list was topped by Rick Pudner, a British businessman who charted at number 18 last year, showing an astonishing leap to claim the this year's premier spot. Pudner began his career at Emirates NBD in 2006, and since then he has rose in prominence and is accredited as being a chief factor in the bank coming through the world wide financial crisis intact.
Arabian Business commented on Pudner, praising him for “an excellent year for Emirates NBD in tough times for the banking industry”.
Second place in the list went to Australian CEO of Etihad Airlines James Hogan, and third place was occupied by the American banking supremo Anthony Armstrong, who is currently Qatar Holding's head of acquisitions and mergers.