RBL Bank has announced a senior leadership transition, appointing Jaideep Iyer, currently Head of Strategy, as Executive Director for a three-year term effective February 21. In a parallel move, the private sector lender has named Deepak Ruiya as Interim Chief Financial Officer with effect from Tuesday, to serve until a permanent CFO is appointed in 2026.
He will succeed Rajeev Ahuja, the bank’s current Executive Director, who is set to retire on February 20 next year. The appointment marks a continuation of leadership continuity at a time when RBL Bank is consolidating its post-restructuring phase. Iyer is not new to crisis management at the bank. He had successfully steered RBL Bank as Interim Chief Executive Officer between 2021 and 2022, following the abrupt exit of former CEO Vishwavir Ahuja, who stepped down citing medical reasons.
The board, in its statement, placed on record its strong appreciation for Rajeev Ahuja’s long-standing contribution to the institution. Ahuja has been associated with RBL Bank since 2010 and has been a central figure in its transformation from Ratnakar Bank into a diversified private sector lender. His tenure saw multiple capital-raising initiatives, the strengthening of investor relations, the build-out of the retail loan portfolio, and the expansion of the bank’s digital operations and partnerships.
The interim CFO appointment of Deepak Ruiya is aimed at ensuring financial continuity and stability during the transition period. The bank indicated that Ruiya will oversee finance operations until a full-time CFO is appointed, providing operational certainty at a time when regulatory scrutiny and balance sheet discipline remain critical for mid-sized private lenders.
Together, the appointments signal RBL Bank’s emphasis on internal leadership depth, institutional memory, and measured succession planning as it navigates its next phase of growth and governance consolidation.
From a risk-awareness lens, Jaideep Iyer’s elevation reflects the value of leaders who have navigated institutional stress before, where prior crisis stewardship becomes a form of embedded risk capital during periods of transition.
