Hala Zahran is the Head of AB Xelerate at Arab Bank. She has a wealth of experience in the financial industry, having held diverse roles in the MENA region and the US. Before joining Arab Bank, Hala was a founding team member and Vice President of Operations at liwwa, the first P2P lending startup in MENA. She has also worked as an investment banker on multi-million dollar deals in Jordan and the GCC. Hala's expertise extends to economic policy think tanks, such as Columbia University Global Centers, where she has held research positions and received awards for her contributions to academic societies. Passionate about the future of finance, Hala is known for her problem-solving skills and curiosity. She holds degrees from the United World College of the Adriatic, the American University in Cairo, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, all with the highest honors.