Middle East Wealth Management Forum 2019

Ilya Kustov is a Senior Manager at Casamont Ltd in Cyprus, an international Real Estate company that offers individuals and corporate clients comprehensive real estate related services in Cyprus and Malta. After graduating with a BA Honours from the Swiss Hospitality Management School, Switzerland, Ilya was drawn to the real estate industry and started his career in the Caribbean region. With seven years of intensive frontline experience, Ilya has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the market, with emphasis on real estate developments and the particular needs of High Net Worth Individuals.

Oliver has over 15 years of industry experience and he joined Mashreq in 2015. Oliver is part of the investment committee and advises on top-down asset allocation, positioning of duration, regions, sectors and currencies. He is lead manager of three multi-asset funds and is deputy manager of the Mashreq Al Islami Income fund, the firm’s flagship sukuk fund. His market views are broadcast across a range of financial media including Bloomberg and CNBC.

Yann is the Managing Partner of M/HQ, a Dubai based multi-services platform primarily providing for the needs of successful individuals and wealthy international families. He chiefly focuses on private wealth, tax and immigration practice and is regularly solicited as a speaker on these themes. 

He has vast experience advising successful individuals and entrepreneurial families with Middle Eastern exposure on implementing inter-generational wealth transfer strategies and structuring their operational assets and global wealth. He notably advises on mitigating exposure to mandatory local ownership rules in Middle East corporate vehicles and complying with Shariah succession principles.

Yann is the Chair of STEP Arabia and the sole Attorney in the Middle East referenced on the Who’s Who’s Private clients list.

Nick has lived and worked in the MENA region for 22 years where he has held senior management positions and has extensive B to B and B to C experience within the Financial Services sector.   

Apart from being the Senior Executive Officer of Invesco Asset Management Limited’s  DIFC branch, Nick is also  the Head of Sales responsible for Invesco’s global relationships with the International Offshore Insurance companies within Asia and Middle East.  

Muneer heads the firm’s award-winning Middle East financial markets and financial services regulatory practices, in addition to our international Islamic finance practice. He is also a member of the firm’s international FinTech team. He specialises in financial services regulatory matters and advises both regional and international financial institutions and asset management groups on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters. In particular, Muneer helps international banks and asset management firms to navigate complex cross-border regulatory issues relating to the provision of financial services, including structuring and licensing issues, across the Middle East and the wider regions. Muneer also has significant experience and has recognised expertise in structuring a wide range of complex and innovative funds, financial products and services. Muneer has experience of advising large family owned groups on the development of investment platforms and governance structures. He has also advised a number of governments on major regulatory reform initiatives.

Phil is the Senior Executive Officer and Head of Distribution for Investors Trust Assurance in the EMEA region. He joined ITA in July 2014 to build the distribution network for Investors Trust Assurance in the EMEA region. He brings over 26 years of experience in the global insurance markets, from the UK, to Asia and Africa. He has been in the Middle East for most of the last 17 years holding General Management, Board positions (Middle East and Africa) and C suite positions with some of the largest Global insurance companies. He is also the Chairman of the DIFC Insurance Association, a community of professionals committed to shaping a prosperous and sustainable insurance market in the DIFC, UAE and beyond.

Damian Hitchen, Chief Executive Officer, Swissquote Pte Ltd Damian joined in January 2014 to drive Swissquote’s expansion strategy from being Switzerland’s largest online banking and trading platform into the Middle East & Asia region. During 2014-2019 inclusive he built a successful B2c-B2b office from the DIFC, Dubai with a major focus on the development and upgrade of the Bank existing institutional platform services. In July 2019, he relocated from Dubai to head up Swissquote’s new office in Singapore, which will act as the regional booking centre for its business development in the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on professional, industry and institutional clients such as external asset-managers, insurance firms, securities brokerages, family offices and local - regional Banks/Private Banks. Prior to joining Swissquote, Damian worked in a number of senior roles for HSBC in the Middle East region, and as an Executive r Director for Falcon Private Bank, the Abu Dhabi owned Swiss Private Bank.

Mr. Nirav is qualified as Chartered Accountant from India. Being an excellent academia he has secured 6th Rank in Inter CA and 36th rank in CA Finals. He has specialized in International Tax and Finance and is advising on various cross border transactions from International and Domestic Tax and Regulatory perspective. His skills help companies do set up right Corporate Holding structure for the group, Evaluation of New Business / Investment Opportunities, Strategic Inputs / reviews for businesses, managing Compliance issues. Mr. Nirav is currently Director at FAME Advisory DMCC. FAME Advisory is consulting firm specializing in advising on efficient Corporate Structure, succession planning for families, strategic and financial advisory for corporate. He also guides in strategic advisory for Freezone authorities to improve their compliance mechanism with regulatory changes. He is a passionate in acquiring and sharing knowledge across different forums and forms. Few of the Knowledge Sharing platforms where he is regularly leading or sharing include: VAT Master Class, VAT Clinic and VAT Open world organised by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – Dubai and Abu Dhabi chapter. Dubai SME – An initiative of Department of Economic Development, Dubai. Society for Trust and Estate Practioners (STEP). Jain International Trade Organization. Indian Business and Professional Council of Dubai. Hubbis Wealth Management Events. Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group. Print and Social Media Platforms.

Chris Cameron joined the DFSA in 2008 as Manager, Authorisation, responsible for licensing. In 2009, he moved to the Policy and Legal Services Division for a 12 months secondment. In 2010, he joined the Supervision Division and was promoted to Senior Manager, Supervision where he supervised private banks, asset managers and investment banks. Chris returned to the Policy and Legal Services Division in 2012 to work on policy development in funds and monitor international standard-setting bodies and regulatory developments. In 2013, Chris returned to the Supervision Division, receiving his second promotion to Associate Director of Conduct including responsibility for Funds and Asset Management. Prior to joining the DFSA, Chris worked in the Authorisation Department at the UK Financial Services Authority for four years.  Prior to this, he spent a number of years in the private sector, predominantly in the funds and asset management sector as an Investment Manager at an asset management company and also as a Manager of a Complaints Department at a Third Party Fund Administrator.  Chris has a BA Honours Degree in Public Policy and Management, an MSc in International Trade Policy.  He also holds the UKSIP Investment Management Certificate and International Compliance Association Diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Compliance.

Ashok Sardana, Founder and Managing Director of the Continental Group, has been advising clients on a range of financial solutions for over 37 years. A dynamic individual, Ashok believes in leading from the front and is passionate about spreading financial awareness and the need for proper financial planning. He is a lifetime member of the MDRT and a ‘Top of the Table’ qualifier for over 20 years. He is an internationally certified financial advisor from the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and holds a Diploma in Business Management and a BA from Delhi University, India. Ashok’s views and thoughts on insurance and financial services in the UAE have been much sought after and published in newspapers and on radio talk shows. His articles have frequently been featured in various publications. The Continental Group is among the leading independent financial services organisations in the UAE. Under Ashok’s leadership, the Continental Group has grown from a threemember team providing insurance solutions to over 100 qualified professionals offering complete insurance and financial planning solutions, through offices spread across the UAE, Mauritius, Switzerland and India. A strong advocate of continuous learning and improvement, Ashok is an innovative thinker, who is also passionate about classic cars. He is married to the same lady for the last 44 years and has one son who has joined the business.

Andrew Naylor joined the World Gold Council in 2016. He is part of the central banks and public policy team, and leads the Council’s Islamic finance initiative. The Islamic finance initiative was the catalyst for the launch of the AAOIFI Shari’ah Standard on Gold developed in collaboration with the World Gold Council, and opens up the gold market to the $2trn Islamic finance sector.

Prior to this role Andrew worked for international consultancy firm Cicero Group advising financial institutions on foreign investment and trade policy in Asia, and the global regulatory reform agenda. In this role he provided economic and political commentary for global broadcasters including the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC and China Central TV.

Andrew has been a board member of the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore since 2012, and was chairman of its financial services committee from 2012 – 2014 and treasurer from 2014 – 2016.

Andrew has a degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Yunus Selant is the Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa region for Allfunds Bank.

With over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, covering both insurance companies and platforms, Yunus is responsible for driving the Allfunds Bank business model and strategy across the two regions.

Sai Narain is the Regional Head of Sales and Distribution for HSBC’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management business and the Head of Customer Experience in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. He is also the Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management for the International Markets in Bahrain, Qatar and Algeria. He is responsible for designing HSBC’s strategy, setting protocols and standards and driving performance across the region for acquiring new clients and deepening existing client relationships, across affluent, mass market and employee banking. He is also responsible for strategy and execution of HSBC’s digital agenda and contact center channels. Sai joined HSBC UAE in November 2015 and currently manages over 3000 employees and 2.5 million customers across seven markets. Sai has hands-on experience in retail banking for over 25 years spanning 3 continents and 3 large International Banks. Prior to joining HSBC in 2015, Sai worked in senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, Africa, UAE, Bahrain, and India, as well as Citibank Taiwan and India.

Joining JHC in 2016, Ed brings more than 20 years’ experience in the wealth management and private banking industry - having held sales leadership positions  in New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Having previously held the position of Head of Sales & Business Development for OpenLink’s EMEA business, it was at SunGard (Now FIS) where Lopez truly learnt his trade.  Among other successes, Lopez built the sales faction for SunGard’s newly launched wealth and private banking front and middle office solutions in Asia from scratch and exceeded the first year’s revenue target by 200 per cent. He then focused his attention on SunGard’s asset management group in London and introduced more than a dozen new clients.

As CEO for SunGard Global Execution Services, Lopez was the CF1, CF3 and CF30 for SunGard’s FCA authorised broker dealer.

 

From a youth spent collecting sporting injuries, and a financial services profession starting as a Management Trainee with Midland Bank, Sean has evolved into a frustrated armchair sports fan and a keen observer of the financial services industry.  As a Financial Adviser, Sean has been voted “Middle East Financial Adviser of the Year” on three occasions. Today, his main work revolves around IFA management. After helping put together a merger of 7 IFAs to form Financial Partners in 2002, Sean’s main professional activity now revolves around his job as CEO to Mondial (Dubai) LLC.

Shiraz is Executive Director & Head of Investment Products & Solutions at the First Abu Dhabi Bank. He and his team are responsible for the sourcing, selection, development, and management of investment products & solutions for distribution primarily through First Abu Dhabi Bank’s retail, elite, wealth and‎ private banking business. The investments platform is across asset‎ classes whether Islamic or conventional and offered through ‘in-house’ management or through open-architecture to include funds, discretionary portfolio management, investment advisory, structured products, bancassurance, and select other bespoke solutions.

Fahad Versey has over 18 years of experience in financial services industry. He started his career as an independent financial adviser and was soon managing portfolios for ultrahigh net-worth clients and family offices. He then joined a large multinational life insurance company in UAE. During his eight years with the company, he was tasked to develop, establish and maintain broker and bank network across ME and Africa. Feb of 2014, Fahad Versey was offered an opportunity to work in a regional role at Hansard International Life to manage and develop ME, Africa and Sub-continental Asian markets. He currently heads up Union / Hansard distribution office in UAE. Fahad holds an MBA in Finance and a bachelor’s degree in Management.

As the Director of Wealth Management in the UAE, Bart has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Globaleye, Bart was an Area Manager at deVere Group. In his role at Globaleye, Bart is responsible for developing growth strategies and provides strategic leadership, client acquisition and executive management to the firm.Bart is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner through the Chartered Insurance Institute and holds a Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments International Certificate in Wealth Management. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Loughborough University.

Jeroen Simons is a High Net Worth Business Development Director at Sun Life Financial in Hong Kong. He has been in the financial industry sine the early 1980's. He holds a University Degree from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. During a rewarding career he has held client relationship and senior management positions most notably at American Express Private Bank  and ABN- AMRO Private Bank in both Europe and Asia. Since 2013 he was  with Swiss Life Global Solutions in Singapore and has recently made the move to Hong Kong joining Sun Life Financial HNW Team.  With his well established network of professional contacts  he is together with Sun Life's partners looking to grow its footprint in the region.

 

Malik has a great breadth and depth of expertise in Wealth Management and Strategic Leadership, guiding organisations toward leadership positions that help their clients achieve their life goals and dreams. He deploys a genuinely passionate style in motivating leaders and frontline staff to become exceptional professionals, deliver an engaging client experience, and achieve outstanding financial results. Rooted in his extensive global experience, Malik’s ‘war stories’ enable his audience to apply practical skills for enhancing overall business quality and productivity. As a Wealth Management executive, Malik has operated at the leading edge of the Global Wealth Management industry with 30+ years of experience as a senior executive across the US, Asia, and MENA. He consistently communicates a strong strategic vision backed by excellent education, all adapted to cross-cultural business settings. His career successes include Global Head of Sales Management/Wealth Development at HSBC, as well as business leadership at ADIB (Global Head of WM) Permal Group (US Head of UHNW), Citigroup (WM Head, Asia/ President CIS, US), Merrill Lynch (Director/Country Head) and Bain & Company (Senior Advisor). He has also been on the board and management committees of investment subsidiaries and businesses. Currently, Malik is CEO of K2 Leaders Inc, a New York based Wealth Management advisory firm which provides teaching, coaching, and consulting for Wealth Management institutes, business schools, and financial industry clients. He is a noted speaker and moderator at industry conferences. Malik is a Council Member of GLG as well as a Development Partner/Advisor of Acumen, an impact investing firm in NY. Malik, Najmi, their two daughters and two sons are avid scuba divers and hikers.

Laurence is the Regional Director, Client Solutions, EMEA for Asiaciti Trust in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He joined Asiaciti Trust in late 2012 and has over 30 years’ experience in the offshore finance industry. Based in the Middle East for the past 25 years he has particular skills and experience in cross border planning, the establishment of offshore trusts, foundations and company formation. Before joining Asiaciti Trust he held a number of senior positions within the Trust & Fiduciary industry and more recently was Head of Fiduciary Services, MENAP for a major international financial institution in the Dubai International Financial Centre. In these roles he successfully serviced clients in the EMEA region with their international needs and works closely with other cross border specialists in the establishment of international trusts and a variety of investment structures. Laurence maintains a comprehensive knowledge of legislative changes and industry trends affecting cross-border issues. He is a full member of STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Planners) and was the founding Chairman of STEP Arabia.

Cedric has been the Head of Wealth Management (WM) in Dubai since September 2017 and is responsible for the ongoing management and growth of UBS' WM business in the Dubai office. He is also the Senior Executive Officer (SEO) for the UBS Dubai branch. Prior to joining UBS, Cedric worked 10 years at Barclays Wealth Management. He started in Singapore as COO for Asia where he built the platform for the Asia WM business, established robust risk and control frameworks, and built an onshore business in Japan. Cedric then moved to Dubai where he led Barclays' Middle East and Africa WM businesses globally in addition to the onshore Japan business. Cedric was Head of Business Management South East Asia at Credit Suisse before joining Barclays. He started his career as an analyst in a Belgian bank, following which he joined McKinsey where he led strategy and business building engagements for close to 6 years in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Biswajit Dasgupta is Chief Investment Officer - Head of Global Markets, at Emirates Investment Bank, overseeing the bank’s proprietary investments. He brings over 24 years of regional and international experience in foreign exchange, money markets, fixed income and equities.

Before joining Emirates Investment Bank, Biswajit acted as Executive Director – Treasury at Invest AD where he led its treasury and capital market activities. He also held a number of senior positions in Treasury departments at various financial institutions in the region, including Al Khalij Commercial Bank in Doha, Qatar, where he set up its Treasury and Debt Capital Markets business and laid the foundations for the Islamic banking business. He also led Treasury and Institutional Banking, and Corporate Banking departments at Dubai Bank. During his career, Biswajit spent ten years with ABN AMRO, where his last assignment was as Country Treasurer Kenya.

Biswajit is a Chartered Accountant qualified from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and holds a BA in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, India. He also attended several training courses in US, UK and Europe covering Asset and Liability Management, Derivatives, Investments and Financial Risk Management.

Vishal Dhawan is a Certified Financial Planner and founder director of Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors. Vishal’s rich experience of approx 20 years in the financial services industry has led him to frequently write columns and share his insights and views in various leading publications and on television.

He was the chair for the Asia Pacific Focus group of the Financial Planning Association (FPA) USA in 2013 and was also a host for the International/Cross Border Knowledge Circle for the FPA.

After completing his graduation in economics from Mumbai University, he did his Masters in Management Studies program from Welingkar Institute of Management, Mumbai. He then worked in the financial services industries across ICICI Bank and ABN AMRO Bank for 8 years, before setting up Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors in 2003.

Plan Ahead is a wealth management and financial planning firm that works with both Indian and NRI investors to help them achieve their financial goals through structured holistic solutions. Their focus has always been to “Add meaning to finances. Add time to Life” for their clients.

Nisarg Trivedi is the Middle East Sales Director based in Dubai, having joined Schroders in 2017. Nisarg has 18 years’ experience in financial services, 16 of which in Mutual Funds. Prior to Schroders, Nisarg was Head of Sales at Barings and has previously worked at Franklin Templeton and Standard Life Aberdeen.  Nisarg holds a MCom in Account & Auditing from SP University in V. Vnagar.

Peter Huber is Chief Executive Officer for Zurich International. Peter is responsible for the International retail and corporate businesses in three of Zurich’s key markets, including its largest international market, the Middle East.

Peter joined Zurich in July 2013 as CEO Zurich Life Singapore before becoming Country CEO for Zurich Topas Life Indonesia in August 2015.  

Bringing with him over 20 years of industry experience in Europe and Asia; with a solid cultural understanding of Asia, Peter joined Zurich from Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd, where he was Managing Director in the Reinsurance division based in Switzerland. Prior to that he was Regional General Manager, Life & Health for Allianz SE Asia-Pacific, based in Singapore. He started his career in business consulting with Arthur Andersen. He then worked for Swiss Life Group for nearly 10 years in various business units including Investor Relations, Marketing and Business Development, becoming CEO, Swiss Life International.

Peter has a Masters degree in commercial law from the University of St. Gallen Switzerland, as well as a Masters degree in Finance from London Business School. In 2005, he attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.

Tim is the head of trust and wealth structuring at Emirates NBD and a director of Emirates NBD’s Jersey and Luxembourg funds. He previously held senior MENA wealth structuring roles at both Citi and Barclays Private Banks, with a total of over 20 years of banking experience. Tim is the chairman of STEP Arabia and was part of the team that brought in the DIFC Wills and Probate Registry. Tim has lived in Dubai with his family for the last 15 years and has a broad experience of establishing trust and other structures for regional clients and their international assets.

James has over 19 years of international tax experience. He rejoined PwC as an M&A Tax Partner in September 2016 after 8 years as a senior level in-house Tax Director at two leading Middle East government related investment entities, Mubadala GE Capital and Dubai International Capital. As the Tax Director of Mubadala GE Capital, a high profile commercial finance joint venture based in Abu Dhabi, between Mubadala and General Electric, James advised and worked on broad range of tax issues in the MENAT region, as well as transaction related aspects across Europe, the US, Asia and MENAT, helping build a portfolio of US$6 billion of assets. Prior to this, James was the Tax Director at Dubai International Capital and before that James was at PwC for 13 years with top-tier international experience from roles in London, New York and the Middle East.

Ashok Sardana, Founder and Managing Director of the Continental Group, has been advising clients on a range of financial solutions for over 37 years. A dynamic individual, Ashok believes in leading from the front and is passionate about spreading financial awareness and the need for proper financial planning. He is a lifetime member of the MDRT and a ‘Top of the Table’ qualifier for over 20 years. He is an internationally certified financial advisor from the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and holds a Diploma in Business Management and a BA from Delhi University, India. Ashok’s views and thoughts on insurance and financial services in the UAE have been much sought after and published in newspapers and on radio talk shows. His articles have frequently been featured in various publications. The Continental Group is among the leading independent financial services organisations in the UAE. Under Ashok’s leadership, the Continental Group has grown from a threemember team providing insurance solutions to over 100 qualified professionals offering complete insurance and financial planning solutions, through offices spread across the UAE, Mauritius, Switzerland and India. A strong advocate of continuous learning and improvement, Ashok is an innovative thinker, who is also passionate about classic cars. He is married to the same lady for the last 44 years and has one son who has joined the business.

As the Director of Wealth Management in the UAE, Bart has more than 15 years of experience in the financial services industry. Prior to joining Globaleye, Bart was an Area Manager at deVere Group. In his role at Globaleye, Bart is responsible for developing growth strategies and provides strategic leadership, client acquisition and executive management to the firm.Bart is a Chartered Insurance Practitioner through the Chartered Insurance Institute and holds a Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments International Certificate in Wealth Management. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Loughborough University.

Sai Narain is the Regional Head of Sales and Distribution for HSBC’s Retail Banking and Wealth Management business and the Head of Customer Experience in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. He is also the Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management for the International Markets in Bahrain, Qatar and Algeria. He is responsible for designing HSBC’s strategy, setting protocols and standards and driving performance across the region for acquiring new clients and deepening existing client relationships, across affluent, mass market and employee banking. He is also responsible for strategy and execution of HSBC’s digital agenda and contact center channels. Sai joined HSBC UAE in November 2015 and currently manages over 3000 employees and 2.5 million customers across seven markets. Sai has hands-on experience in retail banking for over 25 years spanning 3 continents and 3 large International Banks. Prior to joining HSBC in 2015, Sai worked in senior roles at Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore, Africa, UAE, Bahrain, and India, as well as Citibank Taiwan and India.

Phil is the Senior Executive Officer and Head of Distribution for Investors Trust Assurance in the EMEA region. He joined ITA in July 2014 to build the distribution network for Investors Trust Assurance in the EMEA region. He brings over 26 years of experience in the global insurance markets, from the UK, to Asia and Africa. He has been in the Middle East for most of the last 17 years holding General Management, Board positions (Middle East and Africa) and C suite positions with some of the largest Global insurance companies. He is also the Chairman of the DIFC Insurance Association, a community of professionals committed to shaping a prosperous and sustainable insurance market in the DIFC, UAE and beyond.

Yunus Selant is the Regional Manager for the Middle East and Africa region for Allfunds Bank.

With over 25 years’ experience in the financial services industry, covering both insurance companies and platforms, Yunus is responsible for driving the Allfunds Bank business model and strategy across the two regions.

Chris Cameron joined the DFSA in 2008 as Manager, Authorisation, responsible for licensing. In 2009, he moved to the Policy and Legal Services Division for a 12 months secondment. In 2010, he joined the Supervision Division and was promoted to Senior Manager, Supervision where he supervised private banks, asset managers and investment banks. Chris returned to the Policy and Legal Services Division in 2012 to work on policy development in funds and monitor international standard-setting bodies and regulatory developments. In 2013, Chris returned to the Supervision Division, receiving his second promotion to Associate Director of Conduct including responsibility for Funds and Asset Management. Prior to joining the DFSA, Chris worked in the Authorisation Department at the UK Financial Services Authority for four years.  Prior to this, he spent a number of years in the private sector, predominantly in the funds and asset management sector as an Investment Manager at an asset management company and also as a Manager of a Complaints Department at a Third Party Fund Administrator.  Chris has a BA Honours Degree in Public Policy and Management, an MSc in International Trade Policy.  He also holds the UKSIP Investment Management Certificate and International Compliance Association Diplomas in Anti-Money Laundering and Compliance.

Muneer heads the firm’s award-winning Middle East financial markets and financial services regulatory practices, in addition to our international Islamic finance practice. He is also a member of the firm’s international FinTech team. He specialises in financial services regulatory matters and advises both regional and international financial institutions and asset management groups on a wide range of regulatory and transactional matters. In particular, Muneer helps international banks and asset management firms to navigate complex cross-border regulatory issues relating to the provision of financial services, including structuring and licensing issues, across the Middle East and the wider regions. Muneer also has significant experience and has recognised expertise in structuring a wide range of complex and innovative funds, financial products and services. Muneer has experience of advising large family owned groups on the development of investment platforms and governance structures. He has also advised a number of governments on major regulatory reform initiatives.

Laurence is the Regional Director, Client Solutions, EMEA for Asiaciti Trust in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He joined Asiaciti Trust in late 2012 and has over 30 years’ experience in the offshore finance industry. Based in the Middle East for the past 25 years he has particular skills and experience in cross border planning, the establishment of offshore trusts, foundations and company formation. Before joining Asiaciti Trust he held a number of senior positions within the Trust & Fiduciary industry and more recently was Head of Fiduciary Services, MENAP for a major international financial institution in the Dubai International Financial Centre. In these roles he successfully serviced clients in the EMEA region with their international needs and works closely with other cross border specialists in the establishment of international trusts and a variety of investment structures. Laurence maintains a comprehensive knowledge of legislative changes and industry trends affecting cross-border issues. He is a full member of STEP Worldwide (Society of Trust and Estate Planners) and was the founding Chairman of STEP Arabia.

Yann is the Managing Partner of M/HQ, a Dubai based multi-services platform primarily providing for the needs of successful individuals and wealthy international families. He chiefly focuses on private wealth, tax and immigration practice and is regularly solicited as a speaker on these themes. 

He has vast experience advising successful individuals and entrepreneurial families with Middle Eastern exposure on implementing inter-generational wealth transfer strategies and structuring their operational assets and global wealth. He notably advises on mitigating exposure to mandatory local ownership rules in Middle East corporate vehicles and complying with Shariah succession principles.

Yann is the Chair of STEP Arabia and the sole Attorney in the Middle East referenced on the Who’s Who’s Private clients list.

Mr. Nirav is qualified as Chartered Accountant from India. Being an excellent academia he has secured 6th Rank in Inter CA and 36th rank in CA Finals. He has specialized in International Tax and Finance and is advising on various cross border transactions from International and Domestic Tax and Regulatory perspective. His skills help companies do set up right Corporate Holding structure for the group, Evaluation of New Business / Investment Opportunities, Strategic Inputs / reviews for businesses, managing Compliance issues. Mr. Nirav is currently Director at FAME Advisory DMCC. FAME Advisory is consulting firm specializing in advising on efficient Corporate Structure, succession planning for families, strategic and financial advisory for corporate. He also guides in strategic advisory for Freezone authorities to improve their compliance mechanism with regulatory changes. He is a passionate in acquiring and sharing knowledge across different forums and forms. Few of the Knowledge Sharing platforms where he is regularly leading or sharing include: VAT Master Class, VAT Clinic and VAT Open world organised by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India – Dubai and Abu Dhabi chapter. Dubai SME – An initiative of Department of Economic Development, Dubai. Society for Trust and Estate Practioners (STEP). Jain International Trade Organization. Indian Business and Professional Council of Dubai. Hubbis Wealth Management Events. Dubai Gold and Jewellery Group. Print and Social Media Platforms.

Biswajit Dasgupta is Chief Investment Officer - Head of Global Markets, at Emirates Investment Bank, overseeing the bank’s proprietary investments. He brings over 24 years of regional and international experience in foreign exchange, money markets, fixed income and equities.

Before joining Emirates Investment Bank, Biswajit acted as Executive Director – Treasury at Invest AD where he led its treasury and capital market activities. He also held a number of senior positions in Treasury departments at various financial institutions in the region, including Al Khalij Commercial Bank in Doha, Qatar, where he set up its Treasury and Debt Capital Markets business and laid the foundations for the Islamic banking business. He also led Treasury and Institutional Banking, and Corporate Banking departments at Dubai Bank. During his career, Biswajit spent ten years with ABN AMRO, where his last assignment was as Country Treasurer Kenya.

Biswajit is a Chartered Accountant qualified from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and holds a BA in Commerce from Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, India. He also attended several training courses in US, UK and Europe covering Asset and Liability Management, Derivatives, Investments and Financial Risk Management.

Oliver has over 15 years of industry experience and he joined Mashreq in 2015. Oliver is part of the investment committee and advises on top-down asset allocation, positioning of duration, regions, sectors and currencies. He is lead manager of three multi-asset funds and is deputy manager of the Mashreq Al Islami Income fund, the firm’s flagship sukuk fund. His market views are broadcast across a range of financial media including Bloomberg and CNBC.

Andrew Naylor joined the World Gold Council in 2016. He is part of the central banks and public policy team, and leads the Council’s Islamic finance initiative. The Islamic finance initiative was the catalyst for the launch of the AAOIFI Shari’ah Standard on Gold developed in collaboration with the World Gold Council, and opens up the gold market to the $2trn Islamic finance sector.

Prior to this role Andrew worked for international consultancy firm Cicero Group advising financial institutions on foreign investment and trade policy in Asia, and the global regulatory reform agenda. In this role he provided economic and political commentary for global broadcasters including the BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC and China Central TV.

Andrew has been a board member of the European Chamber of Commerce in Singapore since 2012, and was chairman of its financial services committee from 2012 – 2014 and treasurer from 2014 – 2016.

Andrew has a degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Michael has an extensive background in financial services in Asia, Europe and North America. He has been in Asia-Pacific since 1995 – first in Hong Kong for six years, then in Sydney and Singapore, returning to Hong Kong in 2007. Before setting up Hubbis in early 2009, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002 and sold it to global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006, continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer until October 2008. Prior to Pacific Prospect, Michael worked for nine years in financial markets publishing. He joined Euromoney Publications in 1993 as the publisher of a quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters) to conceive and launch Finance Asia magazine. While he was Managing Director of Finance Asia, Michael also started the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine and started the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, Michael founded FIA Limited. Born in North Wales, Michael was head boy of St David’s College Llandudno. He has a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. And is married with three children - Reanna, Garett and Tarryn.

Michael has an extensive background in financial services in Asia, Europe and North America. He has been in Asia-Pacific since 1995 – first in Hong Kong for six years, then in Sydney and Singapore, returning to Hong Kong in 2007. Before setting up Hubbis in early 2009, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002 and sold it to global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006, continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer until October 2008. Prior to Pacific Prospect, Michael worked for nine years in financial markets publishing. He joined Euromoney Publications in 1993 as the publisher of a quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters) to conceive and launch Finance Asia magazine. While he was Managing Director of Finance Asia, Michael also started the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine and started the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, Michael founded FIA Limited. Born in North Wales, Michael was head boy of St David’s College Llandudno. He has a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. And is married with three children - Reanna, Garett and Tarryn.

Michael has an extensive background in financial services in Asia, Europe and North America. He has been in Asia-Pacific since 1995 – first in Hong Kong for six years, then in Sydney and Singapore, returning to Hong Kong in 2007. Before setting up Hubbis in early 2009, Michael founded Pacific Prospect in 2002 and sold it to global business-to-business publisher Incisive Media in 2006, continuing to serve as Chief Executive Officer until October 2008. Prior to Pacific Prospect, Michael worked for nine years in financial markets publishing. He joined Euromoney Publications in 1993 as the publisher of a quarterly magazine, International Bond Investor. In 1995, Michael joined Thomson Financial Services (now Thomson Reuters) to conceive and launch Finance Asia magazine. While he was Managing Director of Finance Asia, Michael also started the Asian Debt Review, Asian Private Capital Magazine and started the Finance Asia Conference Business. In 1997, Michael founded FIA Limited. Born in North Wales, Michael was head boy of St David’s College Llandudno. He has a degree in Business Administration from Cardiff University. And is married with three children - Reanna, Garett and Tarryn.