INDEPENDENT WEALTH MANAGEMENT FORUM - Dubai 2023

Marc-André Sola is a serial entrepreneur. He started his first company at the age of 20 and has since founded, or co-founded, a number of businesses in different fields and in multiple countries. Mr. Sola holds a Masters of Law degree from the University of Zurich and serves on the board of various companies. He specializes in insurance and retirement planning, as well as tailored asset protection and estate Tax planning solutions. For over 20 years, he has been advising clients from all over Europe, North & South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Mr. Sola is a sought after speaker at international investment, asset protection and estate planning conferences worldwide. Furthermore, he has published a variety of professional articles and co-authored the book, The Insured Portfolio, published by John Wiley & Sons (2010). He is a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization), Zurich Chapter.

Mario joined AQUIS Capital in July 2020, where he is responsible for the Emerging Markets. Before he worked for Vogt Asset Management AG and CBR Investment AG, where he played a key role in the launch of the Lumen Vietnam Fund, which he continues to manage with great success as the responsible portfolio manager. Under his leadership, the Lumen Vietnam Fund was the first Vietnam focused equity long-only fund worldwide to receive the UCITS label (2013). Since then, the fund has been the first to invest according to ESG criteria. Mario also worked at Würth Finance in 2006, where he worked as a portfolio manager in the treasury and risk division. He started his career 1987 as market maker for Japanese convertible bonds and warrants for Bank Julius Bär in Zurich. 1992 he was appointed by the Board of Directors of Bank Julius Baer to set up the derivatives department. After the commercial education at KV Zurich Business School, he attended INSEAD in Fontainebleau (Paris) to expand his knowledge in derivatives. He is an educated and passionate chartist, it recognizes the important trends in the international financial markets at a very early stage.

Mehrez Kheir was born in Lebanon, received his education in Lebanon graduating with a Business Degree in Marketing and Finance from the Lebanese American University back in 1988. He later received investment certifications from the FSA in the UK and the CSI in Canada. Mehrez has spent the last 29 years working in Finance and Banking in Beirut and Dubai where he moved to in 2016. Over this span he has worked for banks like Julius Baer, Societe Generale, Bank J.Safra Sarasin and lastly for International Bank of Luxembourg. In 2022, Mehrez decided to join Abbey Road Investment Group founded by his friend and ex colleague Arjun Mittal. Abbey Road has 3 key areas of focus. 1. A multifamily office advising clients on all aspects of their wealth, including investments, structuring (trusts, foundations) and ancillary requirements. 2. An Asset management business with its own UCITS regulated mutual fund, starting with a Global Equities fund. 3. Private Market Investing like a traditional merchant bank, where Abbey Road sources deals and is also a cornerstone investor using its own proprietary capital.

David Doerig is the COO of Corecam Family Office. He spent several years in Taiwan and Hong Kong in different positions before moving Singapore over a decade ago. Most recently he was Executive Director, Head of Business Transformation Group – Asia at Royal Bank of Canada and prior to that, David was Vice President, Head of Product Management COO – Singapore at Credit Suisse. David holds a Master degree in Banking and Finance from the University of St. Gallen

Anita Krishna Gupta is the Head of Equity Strategy CIO Office at Emirates NBD Bank. Has been with the Emirates NBD group for over 20 years and Headed Asset Management and Equities (Prop Book) at Global Markets & Treasury. She has over 30 years of experience in the investment field from India to the UK to the UAE and is a specialist in global equity strategy. Anita holds a MBA degree from IIM Calcutta, India.

Bryan Henning is a wealth management specialist with over 30 years of experience. He represents Eton Solutions as Senior Vice President of International Sales. Bryan is based in Singapore, where he leads Sales & Marketing efforts in the Asia Pacific region. As Senior VP of International Sales, he leads client interactions, sales, implementation, and services throughout the Asia Pacific region and supports all company operations in Singapore. Throughout his multi-decade career, Bryan has worked in banking and wealth management, leading divisions for Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Wealth, and HSBC, where he developed and managed all aspects of wealth management offerings to retail, mass affluent, HNW, and UHNW clients. While Bryan has successfully built and run wealth management and investment product and services businesses in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, the majority of his experience is based in Asia. He is a Permanent Resident of Singapore, where he currently resides, and he has Canadian and Australian roots.

Satyen has previously held senior management positions in several multinational companies and has worked all over the globe. He started his career with Grand Metropolitan PLC/The Pillsbury Company, based out of Minneapolis, MN, and served as their Director of Strategic Development. He continued his business development work in the food and beverage industry when he joined Pepsi-Cola International in New York, where he worked as Director, International Business Development. After his work with Pepsi-Cola, he relocated to Singapore to act as Managing Director for Nike Southeast Asia. He continued his career in Singapore as non-executive director at 3i PLC Asia-Pacific before setting off to found Cambridge Solutions Ltd. while being based in London. In addition to his years of experience in senior management for business development, Satyen has held a variety of board positions in different global companies. He is currently a member of the board for Neilsoft Ltd, Credo ESG and of DharmaLife. Formerly, he was a board member for ICON Aircraft Inc. He’s also founded companies: He was the co-founder and former Executive Chairman for Prescient Inc., and he was the co-founder and former Executive Vice Chairman for Cambridge Solutions Ltd. a publicly listed IT and BPO company in financial services.

Philip Rosenberg is Managing Director and Head of Distribution - Middle East. He looks after institutional, private wealth, and wholesale relationships across the region. Phil has been involved with asset management distribution for over 33 years, including fixed income, equities, and alternatives. He joined GAM Investments in 2010 and has been closely connected to the firm since 1998. Before joining GAM, Phil was an Executive Director at Julius Baer, in the Middle East team. He also worked at EFG Bank advising clients in the US, Middle East, and the UK. Prior to this, he held senior distribution and marketing roles at Liberty Ermitage, and Credit Lyonnais. Phil started his career at Lehman Brothers in 1989 where he was a pioneering member of the alternatives investment team. He studied sound engineering and music technology and holds the CFA Level III (IMC) and CISI Level 6 qualifications. He is based in London.

Jian Shi Cortesi, Investment Director, is a member of the Global Growth Equity team and manages China and Asian equity funds. Prior to joining GAM Investments in May 2010, she worked in research and portfolio management of Asian equities for a regional wealth management firm in the United States. She started her career as an assistant editor at Dow Jones in Beijing. Jian Shi holds a bachelor's degree in International Business from Beijing Foreign Studies University in China and an MBA from the University of Tennessee in the United States. She is a CFA charterholder and a Certified FRM (Financial Risk Manager) holder. She is based in Zürich.

With a passion for guiding clients during a career spanning 21 years in financial services, Dean is driven to deliver client-focused life planning solutions. Beginning his career with Friends Provident in 2001, Dean moved to the Middle East in 2007 with the Group. Since then, and based in Dubai, he has worked for Friends Provident International and Standard Life over the past 14 years. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Business Systems Modelling and qualifications from multiple insurance and wealth management bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) and Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment

Following a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, Tim relocated to the Middle East and established Globaleye in 1999. His vision was to build a global organisation that met the demands of the modern financial services industry whilst addressing the ever-growing complexities of financial planning of global citizens. This is continuously achieved by working collaboratively with Private Banks, Trustees, Law Firms, Family Offices and Fiduciaries to create effective client liquidity and inter-generational wealth transfer solutions that meet the modern needs of HNW families. He is now the CEO and Chairman of Globaleye group, spanning offices from Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe. Under his leadership, the company has been recognized and awarded for adhering to international standards of financial advice, fully regulated and partnered with some of the largest global financial and insurance institutions. Having appeared on TV and Radio he is a regular commentator in the financial press too. Normally based in the UAE, his partner is a member of the Ruling family of Dubai. When not in Dubai, he has a farm in Devon with his wife Louise, four children, one grandchild and is an avid MG enthusiast.

Mr. Mohamed Seghir is the CEO of HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C. Mohamed started his career in 2007 as an Actuary at FWU AG in Munich, where he was responsible for Western Europe and the Middle East. He then took up the role of Manager Actuarial Services for Munich Re before joining Swiss Re in Zurich in 2013, initially as a Senior Marketing Actuary in charge of pricing of the life & health business in MENA, Turkey and Pakistan before becoming the Head of North Africa and Middle East. In April 2018, Mohamed has been appointed CEO of HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C., previously known as AXA Green Crescent, the UAE's digital life insurer. Mohamed is a regular contributor to seminars, conferences and publications for the insurance industry. Passionate about insurance, Mohamed has developed a deep expertise on various topics such as bancassurance, life insurance, takaful and pension. Mohamed studied at ISFA (Institut des Sciences Financières et des Assurances) and holds a MSc in Finance and Actuarial Sciences and a BSc in Finance from Université Claude Bernard (Lyon, France), and is a fully qualified actuary from the French (IA) and Swiss (SAV) Institutes of Actuaries.

David Howard is the Head of Strategy and Digital Transformation at HAYAH Insurance Company, working towards building the UAE's first Artificial Intelligence powered insurer.With over 10 years experience in international insurance, he has held a nmber of product development, strategy and implementation roles in both the UK and UAE.David holds an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Southampton and Diploma in Insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Salman Haider’s banking career spans 25 years across EMEA and Asia. He has spent most of his career in Wealth Management leadership roles in addition to Retail Banking, Corporate Banking and Global Markets experience. Salman started his banking career with Habib Bank AG Zurich in London, before moving to Citi in 2001, where he held various roles in London, Zurich and Singapore. His last role at Citi was Asia Pacific Head for Citi’s Citigold client segment and launched Citigold Private Client for HNW clients in the region. Salman then joined JPMorgan in 2010 as Head of South East Asia PWM for the Private Bank in Singapore, where he built the HNW business for the firm. Salman moved from Asia back to London in 2015 and returned to Citi to run the U.K. Consumer Bank and International Personal Banking EMEA. In 2018 Salman joined Barclays Private Bank in London as Region Head for Global Growth Markets/International Private Bank (ex-Europe), responsible for Africa, Middle East, India onshore and Asia. In his current role he is CEO for the Global Wealth Management business for Habib Bank AG Zurich since 2021, responsible for building the bank’s Private Banking business in Zurich and Dubai, serving UHNW clients across nine markets the bank operates in. Salman is considered an established business leader in the global wealth management industry, who possesses experience across the wealth spectrum—Affluent, HNW and UHNW clients—with proven results with global banks. He currently lives in Dubai with his wife and three children, and holds an MSc in Finance from Cass Business School in London.

Philippe Amarante is a Managing Partner at Henley & Partners and the Head of the firm’s Dubai and Pakistan offices. Philippe has been successfully advising private and institutional clients across industries, countries, and cultures for over 15 years as a successful business, relationship, and brand builder. Before his current role, he served as the Global Head of Brand and Group Marketing Strategy at Credit Suisse Group. Philippe is a strategic thinker who enjoys a hands-on approach, delivering results across board and governmental levels in complex and international environments. His interests include nascent technologies and emerging business models and related trends. Philippe also has experience in non-profit organizations and luxury, retail, and finance industries.

Sunita is a well-known authority and legal adviser in the private wealth community. Her trusted relationships with UAE Regulatory authorities, financial advisors, corporate services providers, family offices and banks enable her to provide expert legal advice to her private wealth clients, especially in the GCC, Southwest Asia and Africa. She is a full member of STEP (Africa and Arabia) and often acts as moderator at international forums and conferences. As a thought leader, Sunita regularly publishes in prominent publications and participated, amongst other in the ground-breaking “Women in Wealth Management” GCC roadshow. She is recognised by various legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Global Stars Report, and was peer-selected for the Private Client Global Elite Directory (2022 – 2023). Sunita has actively promoted women’s empowerment for young professionals in India and the Middle East and is a professional mentor for young female executives in the Middle East.

Fredrik Davéus is the co-founder and CEO of Kidbrooke. He founded the company in 2011, after working several years in finance in London. Kidbrooke started as a successful consulting business, but in 2019 the company pivoted from consulting to tech. Fredrik sees a unique opportunity for Kidbrooke to make a valuable difference in people’s lives, by helping its clients empower their customers with fair and transparent financial decision support and tools for understanding how large and important life decisions might pan out. Kidbrooke’s vision statement, “A world where everyone can make educated financial decisions” has become a true passion for Fredrik. At university, Fredrik studied two 4.5 year MSc programs simultaneously (computer science at the Royal Institute of Technology and finance at Stockholm University). He went straight from university to a job where he managed five people, even though he was the youngest person in the team. Craving more professional challenges outside of the leadership aspect he quit after less than two years to move to London and work as a quantitative analyst for an investment bank. He ended up staying almost seven years, working for two different banks, before returning to Sweden. Today, Fredrik lives in Stockholm together with his wife and two children. Aside from work he spends much of his free time exercising - weight-lifting and boxing at the gym or golf and tennis.

Radek is a senior financial industry practitioner with more than 17 years of work experience in payments, credit risk, and consumer lending. Former Consulting Director at PwC responsible for consumer finance and retail banking. Later, a partner in a boutique credit risk consultancy. Radek is an affiliate member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments, has a dual Master’s degree in Management and Information Systems, MBA from IE Business School, and is a certified Project Manager.

Fadi Barakat began his career in 2001 as a Financial Advisor with FFA Private Bank in Beirut. In 2005 he joined Investa Financial to head the trading division and help develop its online platform across asset classes. In 2008 he moved to Dubai where he held a senior role as a Portfolio Manager at ES Bankers. He subsequently worked at two prominent family offices as Chief Investment Officer. He joined REYL Finance (MEA) Ltd. as Chief Investment Officer in 2020 and is a member of the Executive Committee. Fadi Barakat graduated from the American University of Beirut (BSc Economics ‘02).

Nicholas is an online trading industry veteran of 25 years, who is passionate about commercialising innovative and disruptive technology. Nicholas is responsible for building white-label partnerships. These collaborations are transforming banks and financial institutions across the region as they navigate ever-changing markets and regulatory systems. Nicholas’ current focus is on providing financial institutions with BaaS (Banking-as-a-Service), multi-asset execution, robo-advisory, digital channels and prime brokerage. Prior to his time at Saxo Bank, Nicholas successfully launched and led cuttingedge products, services and platforms for major brands including Bloomberg, Dresdner Kleinwort, Mubasher and Beltone.

Damian leads Saxo Bank’s expansion strategy in the MENA region via the digital delivery of global trading platforms for direct/private clients and Institutional partners. Damian has been the CEO for 2 of the leading Digital Banks in the UAE over the last 10 years, being Swissquote Bank (Swiss) and Saxo Bank (Denmark). Saxo’s mission is the delivery of timely, relevant content and access to global financial markets, with a passion of constant innovation. Whether for our direct clients, or to our Partners serving their end-clients, our Vision is to enable people to fulfil their financial aspirations and make an impact. Prior to joining Saxo Bank, Damian worked in a number of senior roles for HSBC in the Middle East region, and as an Executive Director for Falcon Private Bank, the Abu Dhabi owned Swiss Private Bank.

Daniel is Managing Partner of Sigma Private Office, the Multi-Family Office wealth division of the Sigma Group. Daniel has been advising HNW individuals since 2006 and is an expert in Investment Management Solutions for international clients. Starting his career in the City of London as a Stockbroker with a focus on US equities and Alternative Investments, he moved to the British Private Bank, Arbuthnot Latham in 2011, where he served as Director Investment Management as part of the Investment Committee until 2015 before moving to head up the bank’s Investment Management team in the Middle East, as Investment Director. Given his experience Daniel regularly commentates in the press and on panels as a subject expert and holds various professional qualifications through the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

Joseph has held various roles in the Financial Services industry, most recently as the deputy General Manager at StashAway. Before that he handled the business development of the French-speaking African region of Temenos. He started his career as an external auditor at PwC, focusing on the financial services sector. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Banking & Finance from the Lebanese American University and is a Certified Negotiator by INSEAD

Mithun Ghosh has over 25 years of experience in Banking and Capital Markets having managed a wide array of roles across – Operations, Client Servicing, Sales and Governance with Financial Services providers and International Banks. In terms of product expertise, he has managed responsibilities in the areas of Transaction Banking, Relationship Management and in Financial Markets. His has operated across South and South-East Asia, Africa and the Middle East; thus, affording him a wide geographical perspective as well. Across these different functions, roles and markets, Mithun has a proven track record of building businesses in Financial Services and a deep understanding of the operational and technological frameworks that lead to successful delivery of business objectives. As COO of Asia and the Middle East, he has overall strategic responsibility for governance of the business and in ensuring its deliverables are met. Mithun holds post graduate qualifications from the Delhi School of Economics and the Indian School of Business. He also is a Chartered Financial Analyst of the Council of Chartered Financial Analysts of India.

Investment professional with 35+ years experience of buy and sell side of the banking businesses. I have managed numerous strongly performing investment and advisory teams in large banks in Europe and more recently in Asia and the Middle East. I have built businesses from scratch and successfully restructured businesses. I have had links with Asia and particularly Singapore since 1999 when I managed money for the GIC, Hong Kong Jockey Club and Brunei government. The core of my career was the 11 years at JPMorgan where I made Managing Director. On the buy side I have worked for asset management firms (e.g. JPMorgan) and private banks (Barclays, Merrill Lynch, Coutts, Emirates NBD and NBAD). I have a reputation for making bold calls on the markets. I made major bear calls on equity markets in 1987, at the top of the tech boom and the financial crisis in August 2007, and a bull call on equity markets on March 17th 2009. I have been a high profile with the media regularly appearing in the printed press and on TV. I often speak at conferences and provide industry thought leadership on a number of macro and investment topics. In the past I made a presentation to the European Parliament on the outlook for asset markets after the introduction of the euro. I am highly regarded for my team leadership, the rigour and intellect I bring to the investment process, my attention to governance and ethics, and my affinity with clients in presentations and meetings. I was voted Private Banker of the year 2015 (MENA) from Wealth Briefing.

Anmol is Founder and CEO - Three Comma Capital Advisors DIFC – a firm regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. He is Responsible for the overall management of the firm. Functions range from attracting clients to the 3CCA service offering, advising them on financial risk management to making sure a professional team of people run the operations of the firm-one which is responsible and accountable to the clients and to the rules and regulations set in place by the regulator. Previously he worked for Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai.

Alastair is a Private Wealth partner in our Dubai office and advises high net worth individuals and families, family offices and trustees on global estate planning and tax efficient investment structures. Alastair has significant experience in international succession planning including regional and international trust and foundation structures, tax advice, immigration and family governance. Alastair leads the Private Wealth practice in the Middle East and is ranked in Band 1 in Chambers Global in Private Wealth Law. He is described as "superb; efficient, very knowledgeable... extremely resourceful… succinct and very client-oriented". Much of Alastair's work has an international dimension and often involves cross border succession and tax planning. Alastair's expertise includes advising on family trust and governance structures encompassing both business and private assets, tax efficient UK real estate investment structures, UK immigration, cross border estates and tax residency advice for those moving to or leaving the UK. In addition, Alastair is increasingly advising clients on legacy planning involving regional assets and has a particular focus on DIFC and ADGM foundation structures. Although Alastair's client base is drawn from individuals and families across multiple jurisdictions, he has a focus on individuals and families based in the Middle East, be they GCC nationals or global expatriates. Although there is no "typical" client, our clients' businesses and family assets often go hand in hand and Alastair works closely with colleagues across other areas of the firm to advise on structuring private and business assets. Alastair joined Trowers & Hamlins in October 2016 and has been based in the Middle East since September 2013 following 7 years working in London for a leading private wealth firm. He is recognised as one of the leading private client practitioners in the region. Alastair is a full member of the Society of Trusts and Estates Practitioners (STEP) and is the current Chairman of STEP Arabia. He regularly speaks at conferences regarding a variety of private client issues.

Michael is a prominent figure in the financial services industry in Asia. He is the founder and CEO of Hubbis, a renowned provider of intelligence and connectivity for the Asian wealth management industry. With a depth of experience and expertise, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry for over 30 years, becoming a leading industry presence in the events, professional development, and publishing space in the region. Hubbis is a multi-generational family-owned and managed business.

He has been actively involved in the Asia-Pacific region since 1993. And has lived in Asia since 1995, holding positions in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Singapore. 

For over 14-years, Hubbis has established itself as the gold standard media and events brand in wealth management thought leadership in Asia. Each year providing a very large body of cutting-edge editorial and sponsored content, organizing top-flight events.

During that time Hubbis has become the platform of choice for many high-profile C-suite leaders to communicate their vision of the Asian wealth management.

Before his involvement with Hubbis, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002, a financial services media company. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant success and was subsequently acquired by global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006. Michael continued to serve as the CEO of Pacific Prospect until October 2008.

Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Michael garnered 5 years of experience in financial markets publishing. His career in this field began in 1993 when he joined Euromoney Publications as the publisher of the quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now owned by LSEG) and spearheaded the conception and launch of Finance Asia magazine. During his tenure as Managing Director of Finance Asia, he also initiated the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine, and the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, he founded FIA Limited, further expanding his contributions to the financial publishing industry.

Born in North Wales, Michael served as the head boy of St David's College Llandudno. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. Beyond his professional endeavours, Michael is a family-oriented individual and is happily married with three children: Reanna, Garett, and Tarryn.

David Doerig is the COO of Corecam Family Office. He spent several years in Taiwan and Hong Kong in different positions before moving Singapore over a decade ago. Most recently he was Executive Director, Head of Business Transformation Group – Asia at Royal Bank of Canada and prior to that, David was Vice President, Head of Product Management COO – Singapore at Credit Suisse. David holds a Master degree in Banking and Finance from the University of St. Gallen

Salman Haider’s banking career spans 25 years across EMEA and Asia. He has spent most of his career in Wealth Management leadership roles in addition to Retail Banking, Corporate Banking and Global Markets experience. Salman started his banking career with Habib Bank AG Zurich in London, before moving to Citi in 2001, where he held various roles in London, Zurich and Singapore. His last role at Citi was Asia Pacific Head for Citi’s Citigold client segment and launched Citigold Private Client for HNW clients in the region. Salman then joined JPMorgan in 2010 as Head of South East Asia PWM for the Private Bank in Singapore, where he built the HNW business for the firm. Salman moved from Asia back to London in 2015 and returned to Citi to run the U.K. Consumer Bank and International Personal Banking EMEA. In 2018 Salman joined Barclays Private Bank in London as Region Head for Global Growth Markets/International Private Bank (ex-Europe), responsible for Africa, Middle East, India onshore and Asia. In his current role he is CEO for the Global Wealth Management business for Habib Bank AG Zurich since 2021, responsible for building the bank’s Private Banking business in Zurich and Dubai, serving UHNW clients across nine markets the bank operates in. Salman is considered an established business leader in the global wealth management industry, who possesses experience across the wealth spectrum—Affluent, HNW and UHNW clients—with proven results with global banks. He currently lives in Dubai with his wife and three children, and holds an MSc in Finance from Cass Business School in London.

With a passion for guiding clients during a career spanning 21 years in financial services, Dean is driven to deliver client-focused life planning solutions. Beginning his career with Friends Provident in 2001, Dean moved to the Middle East in 2007 with the Group. Since then, and based in Dubai, he has worked for Friends Provident International and Standard Life over the past 14 years. Dean holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Business Systems Modelling and qualifications from multiple insurance and wealth management bodies, including the Chartered Institute of Insurance (CII) and Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment

Daniel is Managing Partner of Sigma Private Office, the Multi-Family Office wealth division of the Sigma Group. Daniel has been advising HNW individuals since 2006 and is an expert in Investment Management Solutions for international clients. Starting his career in the City of London as a Stockbroker with a focus on US equities and Alternative Investments, he moved to the British Private Bank, Arbuthnot Latham in 2011, where he served as Director Investment Management as part of the Investment Committee until 2015 before moving to head up the bank’s Investment Management team in the Middle East, as Investment Director. Given his experience Daniel regularly commentates in the press and on panels as a subject expert and holds various professional qualifications through the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI).

David Howard is the Head of Strategy and Digital Transformation at HAYAH Insurance Company, working towards building the UAE's first Artificial Intelligence powered insurer.With over 10 years experience in international insurance, he has held a nmber of product development, strategy and implementation roles in both the UK and UAE.David holds an Honours degree in Economics from the University of Southampton and Diploma in Insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Mr. Mohamed Seghir is the CEO of HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C. Mohamed started his career in 2007 as an Actuary at FWU AG in Munich, where he was responsible for Western Europe and the Middle East. He then took up the role of Manager Actuarial Services for Munich Re before joining Swiss Re in Zurich in 2013, initially as a Senior Marketing Actuary in charge of pricing of the life & health business in MENA, Turkey and Pakistan before becoming the Head of North Africa and Middle East. In April 2018, Mohamed has been appointed CEO of HAYAH Insurance Company P.J.S.C., previously known as AXA Green Crescent, the UAE's digital life insurer. Mohamed is a regular contributor to seminars, conferences and publications for the insurance industry. Passionate about insurance, Mohamed has developed a deep expertise on various topics such as bancassurance, life insurance, takaful and pension. Mohamed studied at ISFA (Institut des Sciences Financières et des Assurances) and holds a MSc in Finance and Actuarial Sciences and a BSc in Finance from Université Claude Bernard (Lyon, France), and is a fully qualified actuary from the French (IA) and Swiss (SAV) Institutes of Actuaries.

Fredrik Davéus is the co-founder and CEO of Kidbrooke. He founded the company in 2011, after working several years in finance in London. Kidbrooke started as a successful consulting business, but in 2019 the company pivoted from consulting to tech. Fredrik sees a unique opportunity for Kidbrooke to make a valuable difference in people’s lives, by helping its clients empower their customers with fair and transparent financial decision support and tools for understanding how large and important life decisions might pan out. Kidbrooke’s vision statement, “A world where everyone can make educated financial decisions” has become a true passion for Fredrik. At university, Fredrik studied two 4.5 year MSc programs simultaneously (computer science at the Royal Institute of Technology and finance at Stockholm University). He went straight from university to a job where he managed five people, even though he was the youngest person in the team. Craving more professional challenges outside of the leadership aspect he quit after less than two years to move to London and work as a quantitative analyst for an investment bank. He ended up staying almost seven years, working for two different banks, before returning to Sweden. Today, Fredrik lives in Stockholm together with his wife and two children. Aside from work he spends much of his free time exercising - weight-lifting and boxing at the gym or golf and tennis.

Anmol is Founder and CEO - Three Comma Capital Advisors DIFC – a firm regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. He is Responsible for the overall management of the firm. Functions range from attracting clients to the 3CCA service offering, advising them on financial risk management to making sure a professional team of people run the operations of the firm-one which is responsible and accountable to the clients and to the rules and regulations set in place by the regulator. Previously he worked for Standard Chartered Bank in Dubai.

Mithun Ghosh has over 25 years of experience in Banking and Capital Markets having managed a wide array of roles across – Operations, Client Servicing, Sales and Governance with Financial Services providers and International Banks. In terms of product expertise, he has managed responsibilities in the areas of Transaction Banking, Relationship Management and in Financial Markets. His has operated across South and South-East Asia, Africa and the Middle East; thus, affording him a wide geographical perspective as well. Across these different functions, roles and markets, Mithun has a proven track record of building businesses in Financial Services and a deep understanding of the operational and technological frameworks that lead to successful delivery of business objectives. As COO of Asia and the Middle East, he has overall strategic responsibility for governance of the business and in ensuring its deliverables are met. Mithun holds post graduate qualifications from the Delhi School of Economics and the Indian School of Business. He also is a Chartered Financial Analyst of the Council of Chartered Financial Analysts of India.

Sunita is a well-known authority and legal adviser in the private wealth community. Her trusted relationships with UAE Regulatory authorities, financial advisors, corporate services providers, family offices and banks enable her to provide expert legal advice to her private wealth clients, especially in the GCC, Southwest Asia and Africa. She is a full member of STEP (Africa and Arabia) and often acts as moderator at international forums and conferences. As a thought leader, Sunita regularly publishes in prominent publications and participated, amongst other in the ground-breaking “Women in Wealth Management” GCC roadshow. She is recognised by various legal directories such as Chambers & Partners, Global Stars Report, and was peer-selected for the Private Client Global Elite Directory (2022 – 2023). Sunita has actively promoted women’s empowerment for young professionals in India and the Middle East and is a professional mentor for young female executives in the Middle East.

Marc-André Sola is a serial entrepreneur. He started his first company at the age of 20 and has since founded, or co-founded, a number of businesses in different fields and in multiple countries. Mr. Sola holds a Masters of Law degree from the University of Zurich and serves on the board of various companies. He specializes in insurance and retirement planning, as well as tailored asset protection and estate Tax planning solutions. For over 20 years, he has been advising clients from all over Europe, North & South America, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Mr. Sola is a sought after speaker at international investment, asset protection and estate planning conferences worldwide. Furthermore, he has published a variety of professional articles and co-authored the book, The Insured Portfolio, published by John Wiley & Sons (2010). He is a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization), Zurich Chapter.

Jian Shi Cortesi, Investment Director, is a member of the Global Growth Equity team and manages China and Asian equity funds. Prior to joining GAM Investments in May 2010, she worked in research and portfolio management of Asian equities for a regional wealth management firm in the United States. She started her career as an assistant editor at Dow Jones in Beijing. Jian Shi holds a bachelor's degree in International Business from Beijing Foreign Studies University in China and an MBA from the University of Tennessee in the United States. She is a CFA charterholder and a Certified FRM (Financial Risk Manager) holder. She is based in Zürich.

Mario joined AQUIS Capital in July 2020, where he is responsible for the Emerging Markets. Before he worked for Vogt Asset Management AG and CBR Investment AG, where he played a key role in the launch of the Lumen Vietnam Fund, which he continues to manage with great success as the responsible portfolio manager. Under his leadership, the Lumen Vietnam Fund was the first Vietnam focused equity long-only fund worldwide to receive the UCITS label (2013). Since then, the fund has been the first to invest according to ESG criteria. Mario also worked at Würth Finance in 2006, where he worked as a portfolio manager in the treasury and risk division. He started his career 1987 as market maker for Japanese convertible bonds and warrants for Bank Julius Bär in Zurich. 1992 he was appointed by the Board of Directors of Bank Julius Baer to set up the derivatives department. After the commercial education at KV Zurich Business School, he attended INSEAD in Fontainebleau (Paris) to expand his knowledge in derivatives. He is an educated and passionate chartist, it recognizes the important trends in the international financial markets at a very early stage.

Nicholas is an online trading industry veteran of 25 years, who is passionate about commercialising innovative and disruptive technology. Nicholas is responsible for building white-label partnerships. These collaborations are transforming banks and financial institutions across the region as they navigate ever-changing markets and regulatory systems. Nicholas’ current focus is on providing financial institutions with BaaS (Banking-as-a-Service), multi-asset execution, robo-advisory, digital channels and prime brokerage. Prior to his time at Saxo Bank, Nicholas successfully launched and led cuttingedge products, services and platforms for major brands including Bloomberg, Dresdner Kleinwort, Mubasher and Beltone.

Satyen has previously held senior management positions in several multinational companies and has worked all over the globe. He started his career with Grand Metropolitan PLC/The Pillsbury Company, based out of Minneapolis, MN, and served as their Director of Strategic Development. He continued his business development work in the food and beverage industry when he joined Pepsi-Cola International in New York, where he worked as Director, International Business Development. After his work with Pepsi-Cola, he relocated to Singapore to act as Managing Director for Nike Southeast Asia. He continued his career in Singapore as non-executive director at 3i PLC Asia-Pacific before setting off to found Cambridge Solutions Ltd. while being based in London. In addition to his years of experience in senior management for business development, Satyen has held a variety of board positions in different global companies. He is currently a member of the board for Neilsoft Ltd, Credo ESG and of DharmaLife. Formerly, he was a board member for ICON Aircraft Inc. He’s also founded companies: He was the co-founder and former Executive Chairman for Prescient Inc., and he was the co-founder and former Executive Vice Chairman for Cambridge Solutions Ltd. a publicly listed IT and BPO company in financial services.

Joseph has held various roles in the Financial Services industry, most recently as the deputy General Manager at StashAway. Before that he handled the business development of the French-speaking African region of Temenos. He started his career as an external auditor at PwC, focusing on the financial services sector. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Banking & Finance from the Lebanese American University and is a Certified Negotiator by INSEAD

Following a distinguished career in the Royal Navy, Tim relocated to the Middle East and established Globaleye in 1999. His vision was to build a global organisation that met the demands of the modern financial services industry whilst addressing the ever-growing complexities of financial planning of global citizens. This is continuously achieved by working collaboratively with Private Banks, Trustees, Law Firms, Family Offices and Fiduciaries to create effective client liquidity and inter-generational wealth transfer solutions that meet the modern needs of HNW families. He is now the CEO and Chairman of Globaleye group, spanning offices from Asia, Africa, Middle East and Europe. Under his leadership, the company has been recognized and awarded for adhering to international standards of financial advice, fully regulated and partnered with some of the largest global financial and insurance institutions. Having appeared on TV and Radio he is a regular commentator in the financial press too. Normally based in the UAE, his partner is a member of the Ruling family of Dubai. When not in Dubai, he has a farm in Devon with his wife Louise, four children, one grandchild and is an avid MG enthusiast.

Mehrez Kheir was born in Lebanon, received his education in Lebanon graduating with a Business Degree in Marketing and Finance from the Lebanese American University back in 1988. He later received investment certifications from the FSA in the UK and the CSI in Canada. Mehrez has spent the last 29 years working in Finance and Banking in Beirut and Dubai where he moved to in 2016. Over this span he has worked for banks like Julius Baer, Societe Generale, Bank J.Safra Sarasin and lastly for International Bank of Luxembourg. In 2022, Mehrez decided to join Abbey Road Investment Group founded by his friend and ex colleague Arjun Mittal. Abbey Road has 3 key areas of focus. 1. A multifamily office advising clients on all aspects of their wealth, including investments, structuring (trusts, foundations) and ancillary requirements. 2. An Asset management business with its own UCITS regulated mutual fund, starting with a Global Equities fund. 3. Private Market Investing like a traditional merchant bank, where Abbey Road sources deals and is also a cornerstone investor using its own proprietary capital.

Radek is a senior financial industry practitioner with more than 17 years of work experience in payments, credit risk, and consumer lending. Former Consulting Director at PwC responsible for consumer finance and retail banking. Later, a partner in a boutique credit risk consultancy. Radek is an affiliate member of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investments, has a dual Master’s degree in Management and Information Systems, MBA from IE Business School, and is a certified Project Manager.

Investment professional with 35+ years experience of buy and sell side of the banking businesses. I have managed numerous strongly performing investment and advisory teams in large banks in Europe and more recently in Asia and the Middle East. I have built businesses from scratch and successfully restructured businesses. I have had links with Asia and particularly Singapore since 1999 when I managed money for the GIC, Hong Kong Jockey Club and Brunei government. The core of my career was the 11 years at JPMorgan where I made Managing Director. On the buy side I have worked for asset management firms (e.g. JPMorgan) and private banks (Barclays, Merrill Lynch, Coutts, Emirates NBD and NBAD). I have a reputation for making bold calls on the markets. I made major bear calls on equity markets in 1987, at the top of the tech boom and the financial crisis in August 2007, and a bull call on equity markets on March 17th 2009. I have been a high profile with the media regularly appearing in the printed press and on TV. I often speak at conferences and provide industry thought leadership on a number of macro and investment topics. In the past I made a presentation to the European Parliament on the outlook for asset markets after the introduction of the euro. I am highly regarded for my team leadership, the rigour and intellect I bring to the investment process, my attention to governance and ethics, and my affinity with clients in presentations and meetings. I was voted Private Banker of the year 2015 (MENA) from Wealth Briefing.

Fadi Barakat began his career in 2001 as a Financial Advisor with FFA Private Bank in Beirut. In 2005 he joined Investa Financial to head the trading division and help develop its online platform across asset classes. In 2008 he moved to Dubai where he held a senior role as a Portfolio Manager at ES Bankers. He subsequently worked at two prominent family offices as Chief Investment Officer. He joined REYL Finance (MEA) Ltd. as Chief Investment Officer in 2020 and is a member of the Executive Committee. Fadi Barakat graduated from the American University of Beirut (BSc Economics ‘02).

Anita Krishna Gupta is the Head of Equity Strategy CIO Office at Emirates NBD Bank. Has been with the Emirates NBD group for over 20 years and Headed Asset Management and Equities (Prop Book) at Global Markets & Treasury. She has over 30 years of experience in the investment field from India to the UK to the UAE and is a specialist in global equity strategy. Anita holds a MBA degree from IIM Calcutta, India.

Damian leads Saxo Bank’s expansion strategy in the MENA region via the digital delivery of global trading platforms for direct/private clients and Institutional partners. Damian has been the CEO for 2 of the leading Digital Banks in the UAE over the last 10 years, being Swissquote Bank (Swiss) and Saxo Bank (Denmark). Saxo’s mission is the delivery of timely, relevant content and access to global financial markets, with a passion of constant innovation. Whether for our direct clients, or to our Partners serving their end-clients, our Vision is to enable people to fulfil their financial aspirations and make an impact. Prior to joining Saxo Bank, Damian worked in a number of senior roles for HSBC in the Middle East region, and as an Executive Director for Falcon Private Bank, the Abu Dhabi owned Swiss Private Bank.

Michael is a prominent figure in the financial services industry in Asia. He is the founder and CEO of Hubbis, a renowned provider of intelligence and connectivity for the Asian wealth management industry. With a depth of experience and expertise, he has played a pivotal role in shaping the industry for over 30 years, becoming a leading industry presence in the events, professional development, and publishing space in the region. Hubbis is a multi-generational family-owned and managed business.

He has been actively involved in the Asia-Pacific region since 1993. And has lived in Asia since 1995, holding positions in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Singapore. 

For over 14-years, Hubbis has established itself as the gold standard media and events brand in wealth management thought leadership in Asia. Each year providing a very large body of cutting-edge editorial and sponsored content, organizing top-flight events.

During that time Hubbis has become the platform of choice for many high-profile C-suite leaders to communicate their vision of the Asian wealth management.

Before his involvement with Hubbis, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002, a financial services media company. Under his leadership, the company achieved significant success and was subsequently acquired by global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006. Michael continued to serve as the CEO of Pacific Prospect until October 2008.

Prior to his entrepreneurial ventures, Michael garnered 5 years of experience in financial markets publishing. His career in this field began in 1993 when he joined Euromoney Publications as the publisher of the quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now owned by LSEG) and spearheaded the conception and launch of Finance Asia magazine. During his tenure as Managing Director of Finance Asia, he also initiated the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine, and the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, he founded FIA Limited, further expanding his contributions to the financial publishing industry.

Born in North Wales, Michael served as the head boy of St David's College Llandudno. He holds a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. Beyond his professional endeavours, Michael is a family-oriented individual and is happily married with three children: Reanna, Garett, and Tarryn.

Bryan Henning is a wealth management specialist with over 30 years of experience. He represents Eton Solutions as Senior Vice President of International Sales. Bryan is based in Singapore, where he leads Sales & Marketing efforts in the Asia Pacific region. As Senior VP of International Sales, he leads client interactions, sales, implementation, and services throughout the Asia Pacific region and supports all company operations in Singapore. Throughout his multi-decade career, Bryan has worked in banking and wealth management, leading divisions for Standard Chartered Bank, Barclays Wealth, and HSBC, where he developed and managed all aspects of wealth management offerings to retail, mass affluent, HNW, and UHNW clients. While Bryan has successfully built and run wealth management and investment product and services businesses in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, the majority of his experience is based in Asia. He is a Permanent Resident of Singapore, where he currently resides, and he has Canadian and Australian roots.

Philippe Amarante is a Managing Partner at Henley & Partners and the Head of the firm’s Dubai and Pakistan offices. Philippe has been successfully advising private and institutional clients across industries, countries, and cultures for over 15 years as a successful business, relationship, and brand builder. Before his current role, he served as the Global Head of Brand and Group Marketing Strategy at Credit Suisse Group. Philippe is a strategic thinker who enjoys a hands-on approach, delivering results across board and governmental levels in complex and international environments. His interests include nascent technologies and emerging business models and related trends. Philippe also has experience in non-profit organizations and luxury, retail, and finance industries.

Philip Rosenberg is Managing Director and Head of Distribution - Middle East. He looks after institutional, private wealth, and wholesale relationships across the region. Phil has been involved with asset management distribution for over 33 years, including fixed income, equities, and alternatives. He joined GAM Investments in 2010 and has been closely connected to the firm since 1998. Before joining GAM, Phil was an Executive Director at Julius Baer, in the Middle East team. He also worked at EFG Bank advising clients in the US, Middle East, and the UK. Prior to this, he held senior distribution and marketing roles at Liberty Ermitage, and Credit Lyonnais. Phil started his career at Lehman Brothers in 1989 where he was a pioneering member of the alternatives investment team. He studied sound engineering and music technology and holds the CFA Level III (IMC) and CISI Level 6 qualifications. He is based in London.