After three decades in the banking sector, 17 years of which he served as the chief executive of different banks, Anil Shah bid farewell to the industry on Monday. As Shah concluded his tenure as the CEO of Nabil Bank and embarks on a new career path, Kiran Lama of The Himalayan Times caught up with him to gain some insights into his experience in the sector and his future endeavours. Excerpts:

After 17 years at the helm of different banks, how do you feel about being called a former CEO henceforth?

To tell you the truth, it will take some time to sink in, because in my 32 years of banking career I've been the CEO for 17 years, first of Nabil Bank then Mega Bank, and then again of Nabil Bank. So, to be called 'former' does pinch a little bit but what matters is how I became a 'former'. If I'd become a 'former' by force, by somebody else's choice or because I didn't get an opportunity to continue to be a CEO, then I think the pain would be quite unbearable. But today, I'm choosing to be the 'former'. So the way I'm looking at it is, I'm a former student of British School, I'm a former student of George Washington University, a former student of the faculty of management studies and now I'll also be a former CEO. So, it is an evolution because I think the time has come to do something else. And the choice is mine.

What are your takeaways from your career in the banking sector?

My first job was at the front desk of Nepal Grindlays Bank (now Standard Chartered Bank Nepal) for a monthly salary of Rs 3,500. But when I was doing my MBA, I did a summer internship at Nabil Bank and that was when the seed of banking was planted in my mind. And today as I end my banking career with Nabil Bank itself, suddenly I realise that I have come a full circle. When I look back, I realise I've been very fortunate with the people I've worked with. My seniors, colleagues, the teams that I led - all the people that I worked with are the reasons who I'm today. I became successful because I got an opportunity to learn, and I learnt from both good and bad leaders. Everybody appreciates a good leader, but I am also grateful to the bad leaders for making me realise not to repeat their mistakes when I got to their position. So, if you learn from both, then you have multiplier effects and you move forward faster.

Second is the transformation of banking. The banking sector when I joined 32 years ago and where it is today is completely different. Now my branch is bigger than what we used to consider a 'big bank' that I was a part of. The volume and complexity have increased as has use of technology. Now in banking sector, as in other sectors, you can see a good mix of technology and people.

And the third is the privilege to be called a banker. The one thing that really pinches me is when I see my country on the list of corrupt nations. But I can put my hand on my heart and say not only Anil Shah, but banking as an industry, banking as a whole is amongst the most transparent, most professional and most well governed in this country. Usually in many countries banking is one of the most corrupt sectors, but not in Nepal. And to be able to hold my head high and say I was a banker and I've dedicated 32 years of my life to banking gives me a lot of pride. These are three things I look back at and will remember.

When Nabil signed MoU to acquire Nepal Bangladesh Bank, it was said you would retain the position as the CEO of the new entity. Will your retirement affect the acquisition?

Acquisition of NBB is, first of all, a very good thing for both the banks. Why I say that is because the business of Nabil Bank is very different from NBB. And when you put two institutions with different portfolios together, you will get positive and immediate effect. Similarly, I would say the time has now come for Anil Shah to do something different. So, if Anil Shah doesn't head the joint entity, who will? It could be someone who knows, it could be anyone. But if possible, either the CEO of Nabil Bank or CEO of NBB could be the head of the new entity. Since I don't want to give continuity in the banking sector, so it will likely be the CEO of NBB who heads it. I think from the point of view of a regulator and shareholders that could be the best thing that can happen at this point of time. I'm confident that the acquisition will go seamlessly and the entity that will emerge will be far better.

What are the secret ingredients of your successful career?

I think one was timing because when I started there was less competition. It'd be nearly impossible for anyone with the educational background I had back then to enter the banking sector now. So, I had the space to grow. Second, I always highlighted and focused on my strengths and utilised them in my career rather than being bogged down by my weaknesses. The third, I think, was my attitude and approachability.

What will you miss the most about your work as CEO of banks?

I think it's the people because being the head of Nabil Bank I got an opportunity to meet multitude of people - from diplomats to the biggest customers, to the top businesspeople to those who initiated a start-up from a rural area. We have diverse teams representing different ethnicities and ideologies. People always ask me if I will miss the CEO designation. But I truly believe that Anil Shah is more than just a designation of CEO on a visiting card. Because of that I'm confident that what I'm trying to do going forward will give as much happiness and as much fulfilment as Nabil Bank and other organisations.

Can you shed some light on your future plans?

For one thing, I'm not going to be a CEO of any bank or any financial institution because after three decades in the sector of which for 17 years I've been the CEO, I think it's time to close the chapter and move forward. Over the years, 'Anil Shah' has become a brand and I want to build up that brand further, but from now onward so that I can give back to the youth, the institution, and the society where I learnt about management, leadership, motivation skills, among other things. So I'm going to be engaged with an institution called 'Lead Nepal' which will work with colleges and universities to empower the youth with knowledge on how to become better leaders and managers.

Second, I will work with institutions to help them to build, energise and motivate their teams. Third, I'm planning to work in the political arena, with the local and provincial governments to build good teams. So my core plan is to spread light as the chairman of Lead Nepal where I can teach about leadership, managerial skills, motivation and team-building.

A version of this article appears in the print on June 21, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.