Mashreq has appointed Jayant Bhatia as Global Head of NEO, its digital banking segment within the Retail Banking Group, according to a LinkedIn post from Mashreq.

Bhatia brings more than two decades of experience in banking, digital innovation and business transformation, and will lead NEO’s next phase of growth.

In the role, Bhatia will shape a strategy aimed at accelerating digital innovation, deepening customer engagement and expanding NEO’s presence in existing markets, as well as extending its footprint into new geographies.

Bhatia most recently served as Chief Product Officer at Mox Bank, a Hong Kong-based virtual bank, and previously held senior payments and retail banking leadership roles at Standard Chartered, including Managing Director and Global Head of Payments, Retail Banking, based in Singapore.

He succeeds Radu Topliceanu, who stepped down as NEO’s Global Head in February 2026 after more than three years in the role, Topliceanu announced on LinkedIn at the time.

Under his leadership, NEO’s balance sheet tripled, supported by an expansion into Egypt and a launch in Pakistan.

NEO operates in the UAE, Egypt and Pakistan, where Mashreq introduced the platform as an Islamic-first digital banking service in November 2025.

Featured image: Edited by Fintech News UAE based on an image by therainstep via Magnific.