The Eleventh Annual WealthBriefing MENA Awards for Excellence 2024

With more than 31 years’ banking experience in the UAE, Mannan Adenwalla assumed the role of managing director of private banking and asset management group, LGT (Middle East) in 2012. Mannan had previously been managing director of Clariden Leu Asset Management, Dubai which he set up and then led for six years.

Before this he worked for ABN AMRO Bank, where he managed his clients and a team of relationship managers for nearly ten years. Having begun his career in the banking industry in 1984, Mannan’s responsibilities at LGT include developing the business across non-resident Indian and subcontinent markets.

Martin Liebi has vast senior management experience in the banking and financial sectors with Swiss and international clients in all parts of Switzerland. Prior to his present role he was a member of the executive committee and head of private banking at Notenstein La Roche Privatebank. Here he successfully managed various growth projects related to private clients whilst strengthening its offices in Switzerland. Before that role he was for seven years a member of the executive committee, head of the Zurich office and head of private banking at Schroders Switzerland, where he was in charge of the entire Swiss and international private client base. Martin has also worked with Lloyds TSB Bank in Geneva, and with Credit Suisse in Lugano.

Stela comes from over 20 years of experience in the global financial markets and banking services in Western Europe and the Middle East. She is currently heading Index & Cie, a DFSA-regulated wealth manager, practitioner of the Value Investing philosophy applied to permanent capital of HNWIs. Her management style and ideas brought about a radical change and new drive to Index & Cie in ever-changing market conditions in the UAE and globally.

Prior to her current CEO position, Stela held multiple senior leadership roles for National Bank of Abu Dhabi, now First Abu Dhabi Bank, and acted as Chief Operating Officer for boutique wealth managers in Dubai. She began her career with Citigroup in 2002 in Milan, Italy, where she spent more than 10 years in the Global Transaction Services covering various operational and managerial positions.

Samira has over 20 years of Wealth Management & Private Banking experience at senior level in MENA, Europe and Asia.

Samira served as Head of Private Banking at National Bank of Dubai and Head of Ultra High Net Worth at National Bank of Abu Dhabi, progressing to MD & Global Head of PB & KCG for First Abu Dhabi bank.

Throughout her tenor, she has remained focused on client propositions and solutions both regionally as well as internationally.

Samira remains instrumental in developing and growing wealth management across the GCC region. In 2019, she was
recognised in the industry as ‘Leading Woman in Wealth Management – MENA’ by WealthBriefing MENA Awards.

Masroor is the Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East at Banco Santander International SA. leading the Private Banking operations for the region and the Middle East teams based in Switzerland.

Masroor is a highly experienced professional in wealth management who has held a succession of leadership roles across the U.S., Asia and the Middles East.

Before joining Santander, Masroor led all BNP Paribas' Wealth Management operations and activities for the Middle East from Dubai, UAE. Prior to that, he was based in Singapore, where he was Managing Director and Head of International and Non-Resident India ("NRI") clients.

Masroor was also the Singapore and Malaysia Market Head for Merrill Lynch. Before this he spent 10 years as NRI Market Director for both Citibank and Merrill Lunch in new York before moving to India, where he led Merrill's onshore platform.

Masroor holds a MBA from Calcutta University.

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 35 years’ experience in the offshore finance industry. Based in the Middle East for the past 28 years he has particular skills and experience in cross border planning, the establishment of offshore trusts, foundations and company formation. Laurence also acts as a Non-executive Director for GSB Capital Ltd in the Dubai International Financial Centre. 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. He chiefly focuses on private wealth and immigration practice. 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 is regularly involved in the ongoing management of such structures – as a board member, council member, guardian or protector. Yann is recommended by all of Chambers & Partners Private wealth, Legal Week’s Private Client Global Elite and Who’s who legal private client. He was the Chair of STEP Arabia from 2015 to 2018

Cécile is the CEO for Trustconsult in Switzerland as well as Head of Private Client for the Trustconsult Group. She has an extensive wealth & estate planning career, earning a solid reputation for her work on international trust & foundation. Her experience includes managing complex & sophisticated trust and corporate structures for private and corporate clients located around the globe, including Latin America and Asia but more specifically in the Middle East.

Cecile is chairing the Wealth Management & Estate Planning focus Group of XLNC, she is also an active member of several significant professional bodies including The International Bar Association (IBA) and The International Tax Planning Association (ITPA). Former Chairwoman of the STEP branch in Geneva and also Former Chairwoman of the STEP Swiss & Liechtenstein Federation, acknowledged as a "prominent figure in the Leading Trustees" category of CityWealth Leaders List. Cécile has also been a presiding judge for the STEP Private Client Awards and for WealthBriefing Awards Switzerland & Liechtenstein for many years.

Cécile has qualifications in company law and practice, tax compliance, international trust
management, trust administration and accounts, and trust creation.

Yasmine is a family business advisor based in Dubai and has spent more than a decade dedicated to working with family businesses, family offices and wealthy families on supporting them through generational change. Yasmine’s practice focuses primarily on devising multi–generational succession plans and governance systems using region specific tools designed to propagate harmony, fairness and transparency within a family business context. In parallel, Yasmine assists family-owned businesses in creating comprehensive tax strategies that maximize financial benefits, mitigate tax liabilities, and align with the unique goals of each family member and the overall business vision.

Anand Radhakrishnan is the Head of Digital Products with Franklin Templeton Investments and is responsible for researching and building digital investment products offered globally including the flagship product the “Goals Optimization Engine”. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2012 and was earlier the Director for Analytics & Strategy for the Americas region. He has also worked for several years with IBM and Deloitte Consulting in global consulting roles. He is a visiting faculty at a renowned university where he teaches a full credit course on Fintech. He is also the co-author of a research paper that won the Harry Markowitz Award in 2018.

Hassen is a Senior Relationship Manager covering External Asset Managers at MCB (DIFC Branch). He relocated from MCB’s Head Office in July 2021 where he was previously responsible for coverage of EAMs and Multi Family Offices in Switzerland, Monaco, the UAE and in Mauritius. Prior to joining MCB, Hassen established the EAM Desk at Afrasia Bank, a boutique bank based in Mauritius. Hassen is an entrepreneurial and solution oriented banking professional with experience in multiple African, Middle Eastern and European jurisdictions who actively leverages on the entire MCB Group capabilities that also include corporate and investment banking, asset management and private equity. He holds a Master of Business Administration from HEC Paris and speaks fluently English and French.

Experienced corporate lawyer with over 20 years’ experience in regulatory and compliance services spanning across the Caribbean, Cayman Islands and in the UAE. Strong knowledge of international business companies’ regulatory frameworks,
financial services (including FinTech as qualified under Oxford/Saïd Business School Fintech Programme) and financial products (particularly Funds). Extensive experience as well as specialized expertise as a certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist and FATF trained Legal expert examiner and certified in FATCA & CRS reporting, ADGM OCAB regime.

Achievement: Awarded 2021 Leading Woman in Private Wealth Management by MENA Wealth Briefing Association.
Formerly: Legal Counsel at Cayman Islands Monetary Authority: 2008-2016;
Formerly: Head of Regulations and Operations for RAKICC (IBC Offshore & Free zone Registry): 2016-2017
Former: Prosecutor/ Regulator & Legislative Drafter