Portrait of Jamal Eddine El Jamali

Comprehensive Professional Portrait of Jamal Eddine El Jamali

Jamal Eddine El Jamali serves as the Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer of Crédit Agricole du Maroc (CAM), one of Morocco’s largest banking groups and the country’s leading agricultural financier^[1][2]. His distinguished career spans over three decades, bridging public service and banking leadership, making him a pivotal figure in Morocco’s economic development and agricultural modernization.

Academic Foundation

El Jamali established his technical foundation by earning an engineering degree in chemical engineering from the prestigious École Mohammedia d’Ingénieurs (EMI) in Rabat in 1985^[3]. EMI, established in 1959 under King Mohammed V’s initiative, remains one of Morocco’s premier engineering institutions, training the country’s technical elite. The school’s rigorous curriculum, which includes military reserve officer training, equipped El Jamali with the analytical and leadership skills that would define his career.

Public Service Career at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (1986-2006)

Early Career and Rapid Advancement

In 1986, El Jamali joined the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MCI), attracted by the “wind of renewal that had begun to blow through various ministries”^[3]. At that time, engineers comprised only 10% of the ministry’s workforce, compared to 80% today, highlighting the organization’s transformation. His ascension was remarkably rapid: promoted to Chief Engineer after just five years, then to Director of Industrial Planning (later renamed Director of Industrial Production) after eight years – an unprecedented career trajectory^[3].

Strategic Projects and International Negotiations

Throughout his twenty-year tenure at the MCI, El Jamali spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives^[3]:

• Modernization of ministry information systems
• Redesign of industrial zone concepts
• Pre-feasibility studies for industrial upgrading
• Development of technical centers
• Negotiations with Renault for SOMACA state share transfers
• Morocco-U.S. Free Trade Agreement negotiations covering over 11,000 products
• World Trade Organization accession negotiations
• “Project Logan” implementation with Renault

His expertise in international commercial negotiations proved particularly valuable, as he played a key role in integrating Morocco into the global economy through complex multilateral and bilateral trade agreements.

Leadership at Crédit Agricole du Maroc (2006-Present)

Transition to Banking

In August 2006, El Jamali transitioned to CAM as Secretary General, driven by his philosophy of “oxygenation and change” after twenty years of public service^[3]. As he explained his departure: “After more than twenty years of service, I must not forget what brought me there: the spirit of renewal and change”^[3].

Progressive Leadership Roles

El Jamali’s banking career demonstrates continued advancement:

• 2006: Appointed Secretary General^[1]
• 2016: Became Member of the Executive Board^[4]
• 2019: Designated Chief Executive Officer^[2]

Strategic Vision and Agricultural Development

Plan Maroc Vert Achievement

Under El Jamali’s leadership, CAM played a pivotal role in the success of the Plan Maroc Vert (Green Morocco Plan). As he emphasized: “Crédit Agricole du Maroc Group has always been the reference financial partner for national strategies aimed at the agricultural sector and rural world development”^[2].

Key achievements include^[2]:

• Bank commitments exceeded initial targets: reaching over 70 billion DH by 2020, surpassing the announced 45 billion DH (20 billion for Phase 1, 25 billion for Phase 2)
• Comprehensive value chain financing covering contract programs for major sectors across all regions of the Kingdom
• Innovative agricultural-agro solutions adapted to diverse client needs

Tamwil El Fellah: International Recognition

One of El Jamali’s most significant innovations was the creation of Tamwil El Fellah, a subsidiary specializing in microfinance for vulnerable farmers (Pillar II of Plan Maroc Vert)^[2]. This initiative received international acclaim from the World Bank as “a unique, high-performing, and exportable meso-credit model dedicated to solidarity agriculture”^[5][6].

Tamwil El Fellah achievements^[5][7]:

• 776 million DH in outstanding credits by 2017
• 73,000 clients served
• 52 sales points across Morocco
• Recognition as an innovative model for inclusive agricultural finance

Debt Relief Initiative

In 2011, under El Jamali’s supervision as Secretary General, CAM implemented a significant debt relief program for small farmers^[2]. This operation benefited 80,000 farmers with debts under 100,000 DH, providing up to 50% debt reduction. The total program amounted to 765 million DH, shared equally between the state and Crédit Agricole.

Generation Green Strategy Leadership

Strategic Commitment

With the launch of Morocco’s new Generation Green 2020-2030 strategy, El Jamali renewed CAM’s commitment: “We are fully mobilized to implement the necessary mechanisms, inclusive financial tools, and specific programs that will generate growth”^[2]. He positioned the group to support the 38 billion DH investment planned for the agricultural sector^[2].

Specialized Financial Products

Under his leadership, CAM developed targeted offerings for Generation Green^[2]:

• “CAM – Generation Green Youth”: Supporting young farmers and rural service enterprises
• “CAM – Generation Green Melkization”: Targeting beneficiaries of collective land rights
• Integration of multiple funding sources: bank credit, FDA subsidies, ministry incentives, and technical support

International Partnerships

El Jamali has secured significant international financing^[8]:

• €200 million agreement with the European Investment Bank (2020) to support the agriculture and bioeconomy sector
• €150.6 million partnership with the French Development Agency (2021) for Generation Green implementation^[9]

Environmental and Social Responsibility

Environmental Initiatives

In 2019, El Jamali signed a partnership agreement with the Department of Water and Forests for preserving and rehabilitating the Middle Atlas cedar forests^[2]. This innovative program uses funds generated by the bank’s “Green Cards,” creating a payment mechanism for ecosystem services.

Digital Transformation

El Jamali champions digitalization as a strategic lever for CAM’s future^[2]. His vision encompasses:

• Digital product development for Moroccan populations
• Agricultural ecosystem digitalization
• Financial inclusion for small producers and rural populations
• Agricultural value chain connectivity to generate added value

Professional Philosophy and Recognition

Leadership Approach

El Jamali embodies a modern public service philosophy: “The image of the lazy civil servant is completely obsolete. We operate like a company with the same drivers: performance, objectives, evaluations”^[3]. His career demonstrates that public service can be “as exhilarating as it is laborious”^[3].

Industry Recognition

Under El Jamali’s leadership, CAM received the “Best Financing and Development Institution in Africa” award from the Association of African Development Financial Institutions (AIAFD), recognizing the group’s good governance, financial strength, and commercial efficiency.

Continental Engagement

El Jamali has positioned CAM as a continental leader in agricultural finance^[10]:

• Knowledge sharing with African partners to develop continent-appropriate tools
• Project financing assistance for Mirova (Natixis) in deploying the UN Land Degradation Neutrality Fund ($300 million) supporting sustainable agriculture projects in Africa
• Development of African-adapted financing frameworks

Legacy and Impact

Jamal Eddine El Jamali’s career trajectory illustrates the evolution of Moroccan leadership from traditional public administration to modern, performance-driven governance. His technical engineering background, international negotiation expertise, and deep understanding of agricultural challenges make him an emblematic figure of Morocco’s economic modernization.

His leadership has transformed CAM into Morocco’s agricultural financing reference while expanding its universal banking capabilities. Through initiatives like Tamwil El Fellah and his commitment to Generation Green, El Jamali has demonstrated how financial institutions can drive sustainable development, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability while maintaining commercial viability.

His career exemplifies the successful integration of technical excellence, strategic vision, and social responsibility – contributing to Morocco’s agricultural sector development and establishing a model for financial institution leadership in emerging economies.

⁂

1. https://www.decypha.com/en/people-list/Jamal-Eddine-El-Jamali-172861
2. https://fnh.ma/article/actualite-financiere-maroc/credit-agricole-du-maroc-un-acteur-de-reference-pour-accompagner-l-agriculture-et-le-monde-rural
3. https://www.lavieeco.com/au-royaume/un-secretaire-general-pour-le-credit-agricole-2071/
4. https://www.creditagricole.ma/sites/default/files/publication/2019-11/191129 CAM EOS – Résumé Anglais.pdf
5. https://www.ideassonline.org/public/pdf/MoroccoInnovativeFinancing-ENG_1.pdf
6. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/0a09f324-9986-48bd-8ef1-4d82ad90215a/content
7. https://lematin.ma/journal/2017/bonnes-performances-credit-agricole-maroc/282837.html
8. https://africabusinesscommunities.com/agribusiness/morocco-eib-credit-agricole-du-maroc-sign-€200-million-financing-agreement-to-support-agriculture-sector/
9. https://en.hespress.com/23725-generation-green-morocco-afd-sign-two-financing-agreements-worth-e150m.html
10. https://www.cica.ws/download/fr/5a93c7d226d7a/presentations-cica-rencontres-2017pdf.pdf