The third annual AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event serves to highlight and showcase some of the most diverse and impactful young professionals across the Philadelphia region. 

At this year's event, taking place Friday, Aug. 26, Mahmud (Abe) Ibrahim will be one of the 40 honorees. 

Biography

Mahmud (Abe) Ibrahim is an established banking executive with more than a decade of experience in the industry. 

In his current role as Market Executive & Regional Vice President of Commercial Banking, Ibrahim leads all aspects of Northwest Bank’s expansion into the Delaware Valley region.

This includes recruiting, loan production origination & execution, portfolio management, compliance, marketing and communication, diversity & inclusion efforts, with the goal of increasing the profile and market presence of Northwest in the Delaware Valley region.

As part of the lead-up to the AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, AL DÍA asked each of the honorees a set of identical questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Mahmud (Abe) Ibrahim's responses: 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your professional career? 

The truth is, in my line of work, it’s always a challenge to get a deal (be it real estate or commercial or industrial) from origination to closing. But the biggest challenge I faced is when I worked for someone who didn’t believe in me. I didn’t realize how much of an effect mentorship and sponsorship can have on your career, especially if it is someone you can relate to.

What are steps that can be taken to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in your industry? Why is it important to do so?

First step is making a concerted and consistent effort in making sure the colleagues are representatives of the community they serve. The effort must be in all levels (entry level to executive level) and it starts during the interview and hiring process and branches out to other aspects, such as promotion practices. It is incredibly important to have a diverse pool of talent because of the various perspectives and viewpoints a company can have when tackling a challenge. It’s also very important to have DEI in heavily under-represented fields, such as finance because you could very well be blazing a trail for future generations to come and you never know who you might inspire.

What does being a leader mean to you? 

Being a leader to me is all about elevating people to their highest potential. It’s about genuinely taking an interest in someone’s career, understanding their strengths and weaknesses, shining a light on their accomplishments, and working with them to improve on their weaknesses. A quote I read before is “the best way to grow your power as a leader is to give it away.”

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Most likely still in Banking/Finance. Hopefully get even more involved with my Philadelphia community and continue to mentor future finance and banking leaders.

The 2022 AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will take place Friday, Aug. 26 at The Vie at Cescaphe. To learn more or purchase your ticket, click here.