Leadership is key to helping organisations navigate in an increasingly complex business world to drive performance, speakers said yesterday.

Financial intelligence and capacity are the foremost capability for any leader, they said.

They spoke at the first Finance Summit organised by Lighthouse Bangladesh in association with Eastern Bank at The Westin Dhaka hotel.

Itaimedtogivedecision-makers, professionals, aspirants in the wealth management and investment industry and entrepreneurs an access to new ideas, solutions and innovations, to help take the economy forward.

The summit offered a view of the industry, predictions and insights to help participants form future strategies.

Business leaders, corporate personalities, international experts in the field of economics, finance, investment strategy, product development, wealth management and IT attended the event.

The summit shed light on four components: opportunities, challenges, achievements and excellence.

According to the discussants, the financial sector has changed considerably over the past decade and has witnessed significant growth in many aspects.

KAM Majedur Rahman, managing director of the Dhaka Stock Exchange, Nuzhat Anwar, senior country officer of the International Finance Corporation, and Shaffat Ohid, co-

founder and managing director of Digital Tree Bangladesh, presented keynote papers on Emerging Bangladesh and Branding Bangladesh.

Panelists took part in discussion on topics such as financial innovation, industrialisation and sustainability, capital market and opportunity, financial inclusion, the Sustainable Development Goals, corporate governance and the financial sector.

Ali Reza Iftekhar, chief executive officer of EBL, Naser Ezaz Bijoy, CEO of Standard Chartered Bangladesh, Syed Mahbubur Rahman,

CEO of Dhaka Bank, Faruq Mainuddin Ahmed, CEO of Trust Bank, Mominul Islam, CEO of IPDC Finance, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, CEO of Robi, Prof Imran Rahman, dean of ULAB School of Business, Maliha M Quadir, founder and MD of Shohoz, and Muhammad Abdul Momen, a professor at the Institute of Business Administration at the University of Dhaka, spoke on the occasion.

Mamun Rashid, managing partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers Bangladesh,

moderated a session.