Stories
ICICI Bank: India's Premier CEO Factory for Financial Services Leaders
- •ICICI Bank has a strong track record of producing top-tier talent for India's financial sector, with many alumni leading major institutions.
- •Anup Bagchi, formerly of ICICI Group, now heads HDFC Bank, showcasing the demand for ICICI-trained leaders.
- •Shikha Sharma, after leading ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, became MD and CEO of Axis Bank, a prominent example of ICICI's leadership pipeline.
- •V Vaidyanathan, who helped build ICICI's retail finance business, founded Capital First and now leads IDFC First Bank.
- •Zarin Daruwala leads Standard Chartered's India and South Asia operations, demonstrating ICICI's influence extends to global banks, while Madhabi Puri Buch became the first woman to head SEBI after serving as MD and CEO of ICICI Securities.
Key Questions Answered
Several notable financial executives built their careers at ICICI Bank before taking top roles elsewhere, including Anup Bagchi at HDFC Bank, Shikha Sharma at Axis Bank, V Vaidyanathan at IDFC First Bank, Zarin Daruwala at Standard Chartered India, and Rajiv Sabharwal at Tata Capital.
The RBI approved the appointment of Anup Kumar Saha as the new MD and CEO of Mumbai-based Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd in October 2026. Prior to this role, he was a Whole-time Director at the bank and spent 14 years at ICICI Bank managing key retail and loan portfolios.
Madhabi Puri Buch served as the Chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from March 2022 until her tenure ended on March 1, 2025. Before leading SEBI, she was the MD and CEO of ICICI Securities and an Executive Director on the board of ICICI Bank.
