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BlackRock vs ICICI Bank: Founders, CEOs and History

BlackRock was founded in 1988 by Larry Fink, Robert S. Kapito, Susan Wagner and is led by Larry Fink. ICICI Bank was founded in 1994 by Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India and is led by Sandeep Bakhshi.

Company facts

BlackRock

Founded
1988
Headquarters
New York, NY
Current CEO
Larry Fink
Employees
24,900

ICICI Bank

Founded
1994
Headquarters
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Current CEO
Sandeep Bakhshi
Employees
124,029

Founders

BlackRock

  • Larry Fink

    Fink joined First Boston in 1976 and became one of its youngest managing directors, running a mortgage-bond desk that was highly profitable until a 1986 interest-rate move cost it about $100 million.

  • Robert S. Kapito

    Kapito worked alongside Fink at First Boston and joined him in founding BlackRock in 1988.

  • Susan Wagner

    Wagner ran many of the functions that let a small bond shop grow into a global firm, including strategy, corporate development and operations.

  • Barbara Novick

    For roughly BlackRock's first two decades Novick ran its global client business, winning the institutional mandates that funded the firm's early growth.

  • Ben Golub

    Golub led much of the quantitative work behind BlackRock's risk-first approach, building analytics for mortgage prepayment, interest-rate and credit risk that became central to Aladdin.

  • Hugh Frater

    Frater was one of the mortgage specialists who helped launch BlackRock's fixed income business and held senior roles at the firm before leaving.

  • Ralph Schlosstein

    Schlosstein brought corporate finance and public policy experience to the founding team; before Lehman he worked at the US Treasury and on the White House domestic policy staff during the Carter administration.

  • Keith Anderson

    Anderson ran BlackRock's fixed income investing for two decades, the core of the firm until iShares arrived with the 2009 BGI deal, and sat on its executive committee. In 2008 he left to become Chief Investment Officer of Soros Fund Management.

BlackRock founders in full

ICICI Bank

  • Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India

    The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) was established in 1955 at the initiative of the World Bank, the Government of India, and representatives of Indian industry.

ICICI Bank founders in full

CEOs and their tenures

BlackRock

  1. Larry Fink1988–present

    Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

    Fink co-founded BlackRock in 1988 and has run it for its entire history, taking it from a bond boutique to the world's largest asset manager.

    Source
  2. Susan Wagner1988–2012

    Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman

    Co-founder who led strategy, corporate development and operations, including BlackRock's side of the MLIM merger and the BGI acquisition, before retiring from management in 2012 and joining the board.

    Source
  3. Robert S. Kapito2007–present

    President

    Co-founder who long ran BlackRock's Portfolio Management Group across fixed income, equity, liquidity and alternatives before becoming President in 2007, overseeing day-to-day operations.

    Source
  4. Rob Goldstein2014–present

    Chief Operating Officer

    Named COO in 2014 after running BlackRock's global institutional client business; oversees operations across the firm and sits on the management committee created in 2025.

    Source
  5. Martin Small2023–present

    Chief Financial Officer

    CFO since 2023; leads financial planning and investor reporting and has laid out the 2030 targets for private markets, technology and digital asset revenue on earnings calls.

    Source
  6. Adebayo Ogunlesi2024–present

    Chairman and CEO, Global Infrastructure Partners

    Founder of GIP who joined BlackRock's leadership when the deal closed in October 2024; leads its infrastructure business, including the Aligned Data Centers and AES transactions.

    Source
BlackRock CEO history in full

ICICI Bank

  1. K V Kamath1996–2009

    CEO & Managing Director

    Kamath built ICICI's reputation for technology-led banking, early ATMs, internet banking, and retail credit, and oversaw the 2002 reverse merger that created the modern bank.

    Source
  2. Chanda Kochhar2009–2018

    CEO & Managing Director

    Kochhar expanded ICICI Bank's retail franchise and brand reach, but her tenure ended amid the Videocon controversy and a sharp rise in bad corporate loans.

    Source
  3. Sandeep Bakhshi2018–present

    Managing Director & CEO

    Bakhshi is credited with restoring investor and regulator trust after 2018 and turning ICICI Bank into a lower-risk, steadily compounding lender, with net NPAs around 0.3% in 2026.

    Source
ICICI Bank CEO history in full

Timeline: BlackRock and ICICI Bank side by side

  1. 1955ICICI Bank

    ICICI Founded as Development-Finance Institution

    ICICI was formed to provide medium- and long-term project finance to Indian businesses.

  2. 1988BlackRock

    Founded inside the Blackstone Group

    Larry Fink and seven partners start Blackstone Financial Management, a bond and risk-management unit backed by a $5 million credit line from the Blackstone Group.

  3. 1992BlackRock

    Renamed BlackRock

    The business takes the BlackRock name and ends the year managing about $17 billion in assets.

  4. 1994BlackRock

    Sold to PNC for $240 million

    After a dispute over equity for new hires, Blackstone sells BlackRock to PNC, which becomes its long-term majority owner.

  5. 1994ICICI Bank

    ICICI Bank Incorporated

    ICICI Bank was incorporated as part of the ICICI group during India's post-liberalization banking opening. The move gave ICICI a deposit-taking commercial bank able to serve retail, corporate, and transaction-banking customers.

  6. 1999BlackRock

    NYSE IPO

    BlackRock lists on the New York Stock Exchange on October 1, 1999, at $14 per share.

  7. 1999ICICI Bank

    NYSE Listing Milestone

    ICICI became the first Indian company and the first bank or financial institution from non-Japan Asia to list on the New York Stock Exchange. The listing expanded global visibility and imposed a higher disclosure profile on the group.

  8. 2000BlackRock

    BlackRock Solutions launched

    BlackRock starts selling its internal risk analytics, later known as Aladdin, and advisory services to other institutions.

  9. 2001ICICI Bank

    Bank of Madura Amalgamation

    Bank of Madura was amalgamated with ICICI Bank with effect from March 10, 2001. The deal added branches, customers, and a southern India presence that helped the young bank build distribution faster than organic expansion alone.

  10. 2002ICICI Bank

    Reverse Merger Created Universal Bank

    ICICI, ICICI Personal Financial Services, and ICICI Capital Services merged into ICICI Bank.

  11. 2006BlackRock

    Merger with Merrill Lynch Investment Managers

    The MLIM deal adds equity, retail and international businesses and gives Merrill Lynch a stake of nearly half of BlackRock.

  12. 2008BlackRock

    Hired to manage crisis assets

    The Federal Reserve Bank of New York hires BlackRock to manage the Maiden Lane portfolios taken over from Bear Stearns and AIG.

  13. 2009BlackRock

    Acquires Barclays Global Investors and iShares

    BlackRock closes its purchase of BGI on December 1, 2009, becoming the world's largest asset manager and taking over the iShares ETF business.

  14. 2010ICICI Bank

    Bank of Rajasthan Merger

    The Bank of Rajasthan merger strengthened ICICI Bank's branch network, especially in northern and western India. The transaction mattered because local branches and deposits still supported private-bank scale even as digital channels were growing.

  15. 2018ICICI Bank

    Sandeep Bakhshi Became MD and CEO

    Sandeep Bakhshi became Managing Director and CEO in October 2018 after Chanda Kochhar requested early retirement. His tenure has been associated with a sharper focus on risk controls, asset quality, governance, and steady retail-led growth.

  16. 2020BlackRock

    PNC exits its stake

    PNC sells its roughly 22% stake in BlackRock, leaving the company without a large controlling shareholder.

  17. 2023BlackRock

    Moves headquarters to 50 Hudson Yards

    BlackRock moves its New York headquarters to the 50 Hudson Yards tower on Manhattan's West Side.

  18. 2024BlackRock

    iShares Bitcoin Trust launch and GIP deal

    BlackRock launches the iShares Bitcoin Trust in January and closes the roughly $12.5 billion purchase of Global Infrastructure Partners on October 1.

  19. 2025BlackRock

    HPS deal and record inflows

    BlackRock completes the HPS Investment Partners and Preqin acquisitions, then ends the year with a record $698 billion of net inflows and $14 trillion in AUM.

  20. 2025ICICI Bank

    FY2025 Balance Sheet Scale

    The FY2025 integrated report listed Rs 16,103.48B in deposits, Rs 13,417.66B in loans and advances, Rs 21,182.40B in standalone total assets, and a 16.55% capital adequacy ratio.

  21. 2025ICICI Bank

    FY2025 Profitability

    ICICI Bank reported Rs 472.27B in standalone profit after tax and Rs 510.29B in consolidated profit after tax for FY2025. Profitability matters because the bank has to fund technology, compliance, provisions, and growth while keeping capital strong.

  22. 2025ICICI Bank

    IMobile and Card Scale

    IMobile processed 558M transactions worth Rs 11,238B in FY2025, and the bank had close to 18M active credit cards at March 31, 2025.

  23. 2026BlackRock

    AUM passes $15 trillion

    AUM reaches a record $15.3 trillion at June 30, 2026, and a GIP-backed consortium closes the $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers in July.

  24. 2026ICICI Bank

    Q1 FY2027 Profit Up 15.9%

    Standalone profit rose 15.9% to Rs 14,805 crore for April-June 2026, with net interest income up 12.7% and net NPAs at 0.35%.

  25. 2026ICICI Bank

    Bakhshi Reappointed to 2028

    The RBI approved Sandeep Bakhshi's reappointment as MD and CEO for two years from October 4, 2026.

  26. 2026ICICI Bank

    FY2026 Profit Crosses Rs 50,000 Crore

    Standalone net profit rose 6.2% to Rs 50,146.6 crore in FY2026, with a 4.32% net interest margin and 15.8% loan growth.

Acquisitions

BlackRock

  • Preqin2025$3.2B
  • HPS Investment Partners2025$12B
  • Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)2024$12.5B
  • Aperio Group2021$1.1B
  • eFront2019$1.3B
  • Barclays Global Investors (BGI) and iShares2009$13.5B
All BlackRock acquisitions

ICICI Bank

  • Bank of Rajasthan2010Undisclosed
  • The Sangli Bank2007Undisclosed
  • Bank of Madura2001Undisclosed
  • Anagram Finance1998Undisclosed
  • ITC Classic Finance1997Undisclosed
All ICICI Bank acquisitions

Questions about BlackRock vs ICICI Bank

Who is the CEO of BlackRock, Inc. and ICICI Bank Limited?

BlackRock, Inc. is led by Larry Fink and ICICI Bank Limited is led by Sandeep Bakhshi. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.

When was BlackRock, Inc. founded vs ICICI Bank Limited?

BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 — 6 years before ICICI Bank Limited, which was founded in 1994. BlackRock, Inc.'s longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger ICICI Bank Limited.

How many employees does BlackRock, Inc. have compared to ICICI Bank Limited?

BlackRock, Inc. employs approximately 24,900 people, while ICICI Bank Limited employs approximately 124,029. ICICI Bank Limited has the larger workforce at 124,029 employees, compared to BlackRock, Inc.'s 24,900. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).

Where are BlackRock, Inc. and ICICI Bank Limited headquartered?

BlackRock, Inc. is headquartered in United States and ICICI Bank Limited is headquartered in India. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.

Who founded BlackRock, Inc. and ICICI Bank Limited?

BlackRock, Inc. was founded by Larry Fink, Robert S. Kapito, Susan Wagner, Barbara Novick, Ben Golub, Hugh Frater, Ralph Schlosstein, Keith Anderson. ICICI Bank Limited was founded by Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India.

Which company has a longer operating history — BlackRock, Inc. or ICICI Bank Limited?

BlackRock, Inc. has been operating for approximately 38 years, making it the more established of the two companies. ICICI Bank Limited has been in operation for around 32 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.

Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the BlackRock vs ICICI Bank overview

Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.