Dr. Islam Azzam is acting as the Executive Chairman of The Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) in accordance with the Presidential decree No. 116 for the year 2026. He is also a Board Member at the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE). Since April 2026, Dr. Islam was elected as the Chair of the International Organization of Securities Commission (IOSCO) Growth and Emerging Markets Committee (GEMC) and the Vice Chair of IOSCO Board.

Dr. Azzam has held numerous leadership positions, most notably serving as Executive Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange for a one-year term from August 2025 to March 2026, and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) from January 2021 to August 2025 during which he oversaw the capital market, insurance, and non-banking financial sectors.

He previously served as Advisor to the Chairman of the Mortgage Finance Authority from 2007 to 2009, and as Assistant to the Chairman of FRA from 2003 to 2005. He was also Managing Director of the SME Investment Fund “Bedaya” and Advisor to the Minister of Investment. Dr. Azzam began his career  as an Economic Analyst in the Market Surveillance Department at the FRA.

Academically, Dr. Azzam is Professor of Finance at the American University in Cairo (AUC), where he chaired the Finance Department and the Graduate  Studies Program in Finance from 2005 to 2021. He also served as Assistant Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Commerce, Suez Canal University; Visiting Professor   of  Finance  at  Stellenbosch   University,  South  Africa;  Visiting Professor of Finance at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport, Egypt; Visiting Assistant Professor of Economics at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University; Visiting Assistant Professor  of Economics at the  London School of Economics; and Lecturer of Economics at the University of California, Irvine, USA.

Dr. Azzam is a board member in several key institutions, including:

• Member of the Board of Trustees, Anti-Money Laundering & Counter Terrorist Financing Unit.

• Board Member and Chair of the Risk Committee, Egyptian Arab Land Bank.

• Member of the Board of Trustees, Egyptian Center for Voluntary Arbitration and Settlement of Non-Banking Financial Dispute

• Board Member, Rural Industries Support Fund.

• Board Member, Financial Services Institute.

He has also served  on the boards  of several big companies  across different  sectors,  including; Board Member, Audit Committee Member, and Investment Committee Member, Misr Insurance Holding Company, Board Member,  Dakahlia Sugar Company, Board Member,  Egyptian Resorts Company, Board Member, Al Shams Housing & Urbanization Company.

Dr. Azzam holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, USA, with a specialization in econometrics, economic forecasting, and  monetary policy. He also holds a Diploma in Real Estate Finance from the University of Pennsylvania, USA; master’s in economics from the University of California, Irvine; master’s in economics from the American University in Cairo; and a Bachelor of Economics from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University.

He has published several research papers in internationally refereed academic  journals in the fields of finance, econometrics, and monetary policy.